The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Senator, ministry launch anti-poverty battle

    Senator, ministry launch anti-poverty battle

    Unable to withstand the ravaging pangs of hunger, which has become terror to many homes owing to the frightening unemployment in the country, the general run of female youths now ekes out daily living on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos and other suchlike flourishing “markets” of prostitution.

    Willy-nilly, their male counterparts – especially those that do not see a sense of pride in menial jobs like truck pushing – secure jobs for their idle hands in the underworld, though at their risk. Not a few among them embrace touting and hooliganism, just to keep body and soul intact, despite the inherent risks.

    However, about 1,000 of such deprived youths have now keyed into an ongoing effort by Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon of Lagos West Senatorial District to change their story through an intensive two-week training on various vocations aimed at making them economically self-reliant.

    The flag-off of the training was held same day at two different locations – the Senator’s Olateju, Mushin Constituency Office and Ojo. The training which began on February 17 will be rounded off on February 28.

    Besides Solomon, present at the kick-off included officials of the Ministry of Youths, Sports and Culture, which co-sponsors the project with the Senator; a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Kola Oseni; Chairman, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Aremo Adeyemi Ali and his counterpart in Mushin Local Government, Hon. Babatunde Adepitan. Ali was said to have represented his colleagues in the district.

    An excited large crowd comprising the youth and APC supporters, especially women, welcomed Solomon and his entourage into the venue with various heart-warming songs. They commended the Senator’s philanthropy to high heavens.

    Members and beneficiaries of the Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon Foundation, which was inaug-urated by him over a decade ago to cater for the needy, were a cynosure of eyes in branded green T-Shirts, singing the praise of the lawmaker whom they roundly adjudged a “rare giver.”

    Through the programme, which is being handled by Stable Technology Limited, a consulting firm, the youth are being trained in tailoring, knitting, beads & wire works, dish installation, cake-baking and decorations, among others. The lucky beneficiaries were said to have applied through the internet, thus ensuring equitable selection.

    Oseni, who described Solomon as his very good son and a true representative of his people and constituency, urged the benef-iciaries of the training to make good use of the opportunity to prepare good future for themselves.

    Ali, who echoed his view, added that the programme “is in furtherance of the anti-poverty programmes of the APC,” adding: “What we are doing here today will further convince you all that APC is truly a people’s party which people must be loyal to in their best interest.”

    Declaring the training open, Solomon said: “Apart from the fact that it is my life to share in the plight of the less-privileged, this training is a response to the worrisome fallouts of rising unemployment in our country. After the training, the beneficiaries will have the opportunity not only to be self-employed but be employers of labour. When a youth is jobless, he is frustrated and if the frustration is not promptly attended to, it easily leads to aggression and eventually, criminal tendencies that will suffocate the society as we have now.”

    “We will be strict on attendance and discipline and we won’t condone unruly behaviour. Inspectors will be available to monitor the programme and there will be a feedback mechanism to ensure that the effort yield the desired fruits for the beneficiaries and the society at large,” he added.

    Within minutes after the brief flag-off ceremony, the enthusiastic trainees, armed with appropriate learning facilities, got seated in their various classes, listening to introductory instructions from their instructors. Solomon and his guests later inspected the classes, one after the other, with words of advice and encouragement for the trainees.

    A trainee in the disk installation class, Kamorudeen Animashaun, praised Solomon for the gesture, saying: “He is giving us our future by teaching us how to fish without collecting a kobo from us. Other leaders of ours in this country should emulate him.”

    An instructor in the cake-baking and decoration class, Mrs Funke Awofolaju, enjoined her students to be serious, adding that after the training, there would be a competition before their eventual graduation.

    It was praises galore for the Senator at Ojo, when he kicked-off the same exercise. An elder, Pa Bade Odetunde heaped prayers on the senator even as he urged government at all levels to draw a cue from the gesture as a way of fighting crimes in the land.

    When The Nation visited the Mushin centre last week, the trainees paid rapt attention to their respective trainings as some others were working with their tools under close watch by some inspectors. For them, it was about time to say final “bye” to idleness.

  • Fayemi names Awelewa Special Adviser

    Fayemi names Awelewa Special Adviser

    Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has appointed Mr. Sina Awelewa as his Special Adviser on Rural Communications.

    A journalist, lawyer as well as businessman, Awelewa who was the immediate past Director General of the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES), had also worked at various other media houses in the country, including The Punch newspapers, defunct The Mail newspapers and The Broadcaster magazine.

    His working experience cut across both the public and private sectors both within and outside the country and was once a full-time board member of Ekiti State public works.

    Awelewa attended Saint Mary’s Primary School, Ilawe-Ekiti and Corpus Christi College also in Ilawe-Ekiti for his secondary school educ-ation. He obtained B.SC (Hons) in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and another degree in Law (LLB) from the same university. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1995 after the completion of one year in Law School, Lagos. He also bagged a diploma certificate in Computer Science from the Long Island University, New York, USA.

    A prolific writer and a publisher, Awelewa has authored about four books and is engaged in philanthropy through his “Sina Awelewa Foundation”, which was inaugurated in 2001.

    Awelewa is well travelled and married with children.

  • Pilgrimage: Okoduwa wants leadership rotation

    Pilgrimage: Okoduwa wants leadership rotation

    The founder of Dispensational Gospel Missions Incorporated Worldwide, Archbishop Peter Okoduwa, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse his decision making the leadership of pilgrimage to holy lands a permanent position.

    Okodua who is the Rector of The Community Bible Institute and Seminary in Lagos noted that the development is silently brewing trouble especially among the Christian fold.

    Okodua, who led the Federal Government’s delegation to the Holy land in 2005, said in time past, prominent Nigerians were considered for the office without religious affiliations, noting that President Jonathan should not deviate from the norm.

    He said: “The leadership of the pilgrimage to the Holy lands should be rotated. That is how it has been done from the outset. But President Jonathan has now confined it to the leaders of the two religious bodies. In the past, it could be any prominent Nigeria such as the Senate President or even Speaker of the House of Representatives but not necessarily the clergy alone. So the president should follow the precedents.

  • Alaba-Okiri community seeks help to fight flood

    Alaba-Okiri community seeks help to fight flood

    Perhaps, just perhaps your relation, who has been living up with you, has decided to take up an accommodation at Satellite Town in Oriade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, advice him against being fascinated by the posh residential buildings at Alaba-Okiri, a continuation of Community Road, Ijegun-Egba, otherwise known as lagoon bus stop. This is an acquired name to reflect the ocean-like stagnant mass of water that has taken over the road even in dry season.

    This is because the road has been taken over by dark, malodorous stagnant water which resulted from a poorly executed job by Messrs Lopek Engineering Construction Company-a firm which members of the community allegedly said is inexperienced and incompetent.

    The last rain that fell further rendered the area more desolate, as no vehicle could go out of or into the street. There is great fear of epidemic because the ocean-erosion that has taken over the street has made the area become a hazardous ecological unit where dangerous animals, reptiles and mosquitoes breed in their large numbers.

    Those who hazard walking through the foul-smelling and murky water had been infected with one skin disease or the other.

    According to members of the community, construction of the road was a World Bank-assisted project undertaken by the Lagos State government. Work on the road and drainage system, they said, was terminated “at a point that will be of disastrous consequences to us…Satellite Town, being a low land with perennial water logging needs special attention…”

    But for what could be perceived as neglect, Alaba-Okiri would have been a very exciting and lively community. Any wonder members of this forgotten area are gnashing their teeth.

    As one ambles from Abule-Ado on the Lagos Badagry Expressway into Alaba-Okiri Street via Community Road, one begins to understand why members of this community are angry. Their fury was perceptible. Men, women, youths and even infants bore hatred of their forlorn situation on their face. No pretence about it.

    Members of Alaba-Okiri community were ready to tell their disgusting story.

    There used to be a road on which they walked, but now, they are seemingly living in an abyss caused by indescribable volume of erosion.

    During and after every rainfall; whether heavy or mild, babies are swept away as houses are submerged. For long, members of this community watched helplessly.

    But it is the resultant floods that made the people cry out most, because whatever pours down from the heavens finds no other outlet than the road to Alaba-Okiri. This is so because storm water from Union Bank sewage, the Central Bank sewage and all the adjoining streets in Satellite Town are channelled through Alaba-Okiri because it leads to the nearby lagoon.

    The community has resorted to self help by buying and pouring hard core on the road in an effort to get the appropriate level of the road.

    In a chat with our correspondent, the chairman of Alaba-Okiri Residents Association, Mr Nwakor Chukwudi said “the job Lopek Construction Company did on this our street helped in further messing it up. We were enjoying the road when construction work was not carried out on it than now.

    “When the firm was carrying out construction work on the road, instead of it to terminate the drainage system at the canal, it stopped it here. Our children are almost always hospitalised as a result of effects of mosquito bite.”

    On efforts his association has made to draw the attention of the authorities to the situation of the road and the suffering of the people, Mr Chukwudi disclosed that they had written several letters to both the local and state governments to draw their attention to the inhuman situation in which members of the community are living.

    “The inhabitants of this area are suffering horribly. We have written letters to Governor Babatunde Fashola, the Commissioner for Environment and chairman Oriade Local Council Development Area where we stated our problems about the road.

    “We are pleading that government should come and extend the drainage system to the canal so that the volume of water from all parts of Satellite Town that find its way here would find a free channel to the lagoon,” he said.

    Also speaking, Mr Anthony Ezenduka, a lawyer and secretary of the association said: “The Alaba-Okiri road has great economic importance. It is the second most important road in Satellite Town apart from Marwa Road which is the main service road in the area. The Alaba-Okiri Road is the only road capable of decongesting the over stretched Marwa Road.

    “Road is about development. Without roads, development would be a mirage. You may notice that because of the bad condition of this road, all properties in this area have been devalued as they are not as attractive to people as they should be. But for the bad condition of the road, economic activities would have been at their peak. Because of the incessant flood, people moved away from the area.

    “We have continued to do our best but the annoying part of it is after building the road through communal effort, the local government comes to collect what it called stacking permit. This is the same government that shows no concern to the plight of the people.”

    Mr Hyacinth A. Nwoye, Alfa Ajasa Tajudeen, Sebili Adigun, Navy Commodore Mufutau Ajibade (rtd) and Mr Ndubuisi G.O. Okocha and other members of the community stated the need for both the local and state governments to look into their suffering and rescue them.

    A letter Alaba-Okiri Axis/Otubu Estate/Kessington Residents’ Association wrote to Governor Babatunde Fashola which was copied to the Commissioner for Environment and chairman Oriade Local Council Development Area on September 28, 2012 was entitled: Urgent Appeal to Save Our Souls.

    The letter signed by Mr Nwakor Chukwudi and Barrister Anthony Ezenduka, chairman and secretary of the association respectively reads: “Your Excellency Sir, we wish to remind you of our cries to you for help concerning the flood disaster caused by Messrs Lopek Engineering Construction Company at the terminal point of the World Bank-assisted Community Road/Alaba-Okiri Street road construction in Satellite Town…We are totally helpless and hopeless.

    “For quite sometime now, the rains have been so magnanimous to us by ceasing to fall. We have been heaving a false sigh of relief. It was as if the extended break was especially for us. We wished it would remain so.

    “…Now, the dreaded period is back. The rains are here again. To whom do we run if not you, our father? You are the only one that can help us. We have no alternative. No amount of self effort will do. We have tried all we can (sic), to no avail.

    “Sir, please show us that you care, as we know you do. Please, visit this place; make a pronouncement; show us that we are your children, not orphans…”

    When contacted on phone, the chairman of Oriade Local Council Development Area Hon. Ibrahim Babatunde Sanusi said the local government is equally concerned about the plight of residents of the area, saying he had continually drawn the attention of Governor Fashola to Alaba-Okiri Road as one of the ecological problems facing the council. He promised to keep on reminding the state government of the need to fix the road.

    The inhabitants of this area maintained that they have been cut off from all neighbouring communities because Alaba-Okiri Road which is the only road that links them with the others has been taken over by flood, even as they called on the local and state governments to be of assistance.

  • Royal row rumbles on in Ijebu-Ode as princes disagree over Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House

    Royal row rumbles on in Ijebu-Ode as princes disagree over Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House

    An epic royal tussle rages at the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. When and how it would end or be resolved may remain a subject of conjecture by many and perhaps for a long time to come.

    The Fusengbuwa Family is one of the four Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode that can legitimately provide a candidate, when it is their turn, to fill the stool of the Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland whenever it becomes vacant should a reigning Awujale grows old and joins his ancestors.

    In the ancient Ijebu-Ode town, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House appears to have had the rare fortune of being about the largest of the royal families and have equally had princes, who at different eras, later became the Awujales of Ijebuland and this is derived in part, from their ancestor, Oba Jadiara, who was the 25th Awujale to reign after Obanta – the heroic and first monarch of Ijebu.

    For a period spanning over 100 years, members have increased numerically and in stature with a good number of them not only attaining positions of repute in business, banking and industry, legal, engineering professions among others but also became first class serving Obas in some Ijebu communities.

    But the same numerical strength that ought to be a veritable advantage, seemed to have become a huge albatross. Not only is the Fusengbuwa Ruling House facing challenges of not immediately knowing how many they are, but also gravitate towards fragmentation with two of her prominent sons – founder of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), Otunba Michael Subomi Balogun, and former President; Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria (ICAN), Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, claiming headship of the family – Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House, at the same time.

    Today what looks real is the existence of a parallel Olori – Ebi for the Ruling House with each of the claimants – Balogun and Owoyemi, commanding not small separate supporters to his side.

    Onlookers of the royal intrigues playing out in the family, say unless the issue is resolved quickly and amicably too, it has the potential to fester and then weaken the already fragile unity among their princes and princesses, and the by extension, the cohesion and oneness required to pick a candidate seamlessly in future for the exalted stool of the Awujale when the opportunity beckons.

    The Nation gathered that the rivalry had been brewing in the past, in a smouldering form as far back as 2004 when Otunba Subomi Balogun was accused of authoring a publication in an Ijebu – based community magazine where he claimed Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House where he belongs, is one of the official Royal families in Ijebuland and not Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    Not done with just asserting that he is a member of the Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House, Balogun also expressed his conviction at the time that he was the most senior member of the House, whose opinion has always been respected by other members of the royal family.

    It was learnt that these claims of Balogun compelled the Fusengbuwa Ruling House of the Ile-Nla Compound Agunsebi, Ijebu-Ode, to quickly meet in August 2004 to distance themselves from Otunba Balogun’s claims.

    And the Fusengbuwa Ruling House anchoring their position on the Chieftaincy declaration of the then Western Region Government around 1957 to 1959, insisted that what was officially recognised was Fusengbuwa Ruling House and not Fusengbuwa/Tunwase Ruling House as claimed by Balogun.

    According to the said Western Region Government Chieftaincy declaration, the predecessor of Ogun State, the Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode are Gbelegbuwa Ruling House, Anikilaya Ruling House (where the reigning Awujale, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, belongs), Fusengbuwa Ruling House and Fidipote Ruling House.

    But what touched off the latest tussle in the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was the death of the Olori – Ebi, Prince Fasasi Adebisi Adeyemi in February 19, 2013, and the intrigues on how to fill the vacuum left by his demise began to unfold.

    It was learnt that an Olori-Ebi is usually selected from proven descendants of direct children of previous Oba/King of the Ruling House, and such person must have shown interest in the affairs and welfare of the Ruling House, its members and is also expected to prove himself worthy of the position.

    The Nation gathered that after the death of Prince Adebisi Adeyemi, the Fusengbuwa Ruling House met, March 31, 2013, at the residence of the late Adeyemi where it unanimously appointed the then deputy Head of the Family (Igba keji Olori – Ebi), Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi, as the new Olori-Ebi to succeed Adeyemi.

    It was further learnt that Owoyemi was later installed formally at a special meeting of the Ruling House at his late predecessor’s home on April 7, 2013, with former Minister, Senator Jubril Matrins Kuye, among other Princes in attendance and by April 8, 2013, letters were sent to the Secretary, Ijebu – Ode Local Government Council,  Ogun State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abeokuta,  and Oba Sikiru Adetona, to formally announce Otunba Lateef Adebayo Owoyemi as the new Olori–Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    But a new twist crept into the matter last June 22 when Otunba Subomi Balogun was presented to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, as the new Olori-Ebi of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    The Saderiren of Isonyin, Oba Funso Omo-Ogunkoya, Moyegeso of Itele, Oba Adesanya Kasali,  Oru of Imoru, Oba Adeposi Bashorun, Chief Olu Adebanjo and  91 years old Prince Adedapo Adeniran, were among members of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House that presented Subomi Balogun to the Awujale as the new Olori-Ebi.

    Balogun was said to have emerged the new Head of the Ruling House in a meeting he jointly convened with Chief Olu Adebanjo, the Otunba Fusengbuwa of Ijebuland, at the Royal Pavilion, Otunba Tunwase Court, Ijebu-Ode last April 14.

    The Fusengbuwa Ruling House which was said to have been rattled by Balogun’s latest  move, quickly wrote the Awujale, Oba Adetona, last November 12, through its Counsel, Alhaji. Adesegun Adebayo, pointing out the anomaly and the alleged role of Otunba Timothy Olu Adebanjo in the whole matter.

    Lateef Owoyemi told The Nation that neither the meeting where Subomi Balogun emerged as the new Olori – Ebi was lawful and properly constituted nor Olu Adebanjo whom he alleged played a key role in the making of Balogun an Olori-Ebi, a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House.

    The former ICAN President who is also the Otunba Jadiara of Ijebuland, maintained that Olu Adebanjo who hails from Idowa-Ijebu, is not a member of any of the four Ruling Houses of Oba Dagburewe in Idowa or any of the Ruling Houses in Ijebu-Ode and so, lacked the competence to take the action he took in respect of Subomi Balogun.

    He recalled that in March 12, 1995, the representatives of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House led by the then Olori-Ebi, Prince Adebisi Adeyemi(now late), had  protested at the Palace of Awujale, Ijebu-Ode, when Oba Adetona was to make Chief Olu Adebanjo the Otunba Fusengbuwa because the Ruling House alleged he was not a Prince.

    Owoyemi argued that Ogburo through whom Olu Adebanjo claimed to be a member of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House was neither a Princess nor senior Olori (Queen) to the first Dagburewe of Idowa, Oba Owa Otutubiosun.

    Oba Owa Otutubiosun is one of the sons of Oba Fusengbuwa, the Awujale of Ijebuland, who reigned between 1790-1891.

    Owoyemi said available record has shown that Ogburo whom Olu Adebanjo had continually claimed was his ancestors’ great grandmother was not a woman, Princess or Olori (Queen) but one of the Ilamurens(chiefs) in Idowa land.

    And sources close to the Palace of the Awujale also told our reporter that the said letter written by Counsel to the Fusengbuwa Ruling House and addressed to Oba Adetona last November 12 and which was equally acknowledged last December 16, explained the propriety and the need for the Paramount ruler to declare all actions taken by Olu Adebanjo “null” and “void” should Adebanjo’s claim to being a Prince, be found to be “false.”

    The letter reads in part: “we respectfully wish to refer your Majesty to the recent unfortunate events leading to the emergence of the unhappy and unusual experience of two Olori – Ebi in Fusengbuwa Ruling House, namely in the persons of Otunba Lateef Owoyemi, who was lawfully selected at a meeting of the Ruling House on March 30, 2013 and Otunba Subomi Balogun, whose emergence is said to have occurred at the Awujale Palace on June 22, 2013…

    “…Your Majesty reportedly publicly noted ‘the leadership role played by Otunba Olu Adebanjo in the emergence of Otunba Subomi Balogun as Olori – Ebi’ and his presentation was done by a delegation widely reported to have been led by one of the prominent sons of the Ruling House, in the person of Otunba Olu Adebanjo…

    “We trust that your Majesty, as a highly principled and widely respected monarch, will readily agree that should Chief Olu Adebanjo’s claim to Royalty through Queen Ogburo and Fusengbuwa Ruling House, be found to be false, not only will all the actions so far taken by him as Otunba Fusengbuwa and a member of Fusengbuwa Ruling House or on behalf of the Ruling House, including his purported roles in the recent issue of Olori-Ebi, be declared null, void and of no lawful effects whatsoever, by your Majesty, but also your Majesty would not hesitate to take all other actions normally necessary in such circumstance, most especially in keeping with your Majesty’s sacred Oath of Office as Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland.”

    When contacted, the Secretary of the Ruling House, Engr. Kayode Sote, in a telephone conversation, told The Nation that he had not gotten the mandate of the family to speak on the issue, stressing that he would rather keep mum.

    But Olu Adebanjo in an interview with our reporter said Owoyemi was in the meeting where Subomi Balogun was selected as the Olori Ebi, wrote his name and also signed same on the attendance register.

    Adebanjo insisted that he is a Prince through his great grandmother, Ogburo, and that his ancestors came to Idowa from Ijebu-Ode.

    He admitted that Ogburo was a Chieftaincy title in Idowa but said it was created by the Dagburewe; Oba Owa Otutubiosun, in honour of his most senior wife, Olori Ogburo, and wondered why the likes of Owoyemi would think a woman could not become a Chief.

    According to him, the decision  making Subomi Balogun Olori-Ebi was unanimous while names of people present at the meeting were also read out to the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, the day Subomi Balogun was formally presented to the Paramount ruler in line with the customs and tradition of the Ijebus nay Yoruba.

    Adebanjo said: “Our ancestors came to Idowa from Ijebu-Ode around 1540. Ogburo is a woman; she was the most senior wife of the first Dagburewe of Idowa.  My mother also came from another royal line in Idowa. Her father, Prince Yesufu Ogunejo was the son of Adejo – daughter of Oba Dagburewe Anowoneyo.

    “It is in the original history book. This fellow (Owoyemi) is going to get himself into trouble. When he was the Local government Chairman, he borrowed the history book from the Oba and started tampering with it; it was when we told him that we have a photocopy of it that he stopped.

    “The meeting that made Owoyemi the Olori-Ebi was a sectional meeting and half of the people who were there are not from the royal family, they are not known and are not related to us. When we called the meeting that selected Subomi Balogun, Owoyemi was there and he signed the attendance (register) and the decision was taken unanimously and that is what he will try to wriggle out of.

    “He was present I can show you the attendance book. When we went to Awujale to present Subomi Balogun, his name was mentioned  as one of those present in the meeting where Balogun was selected and not only that, he signed the attendance book.

    “He (Subomi Balogun) has been selected as our Olori Ebi and he accepted it and we have presented him to the Awujale of Ijebuland. I don’t know what culture you (reporter) practice but in Yorubaland even if you make someone a Baale, he has to go and see the Oba.

    “In the meeting he (Owoyemi) claimed he was made the Olori-Ebi, ask him if he had been presented to the Awujale. It is an illegal body, a section of people who don’t belong to us. He can be secretary or anything. And that section is inhabited by people like Owoyemi who have nothing to do with our family.

    “My best advice to Owoyemi is to do like his father did and accept that they came to Idowa as aides to the Dagburewe of Idowa. I am telling you that Bayo Owoyemi and others who are fighting are not members of our family, they are pretenders.”

    “That is why I, Olu Adebanjo refused to go and sit with him in that section of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House. I am the Otunba Fusengbuwa of the ruling house so I should know who and who members of the ruling house are.

    “I don’t know the reason for Owoyemi’s antagonism and bitterness towards me. His claim that I am not a member of the ruling house is not correct. You know Subomi Balogun very well, he is rich, if I am not a member of that house can I just go there and pick him and he will follow me?

    “His anger against me is because I am the one that knows his history that is his bitterness. Owoyemi knows that it is only my evidence that will do him all the damage because I have it.”

    Apparently reacting to insinuations that he is not from a royal lineage and his forbears were aides to Oba ….. and merely accompanied him to Idowa, Owoyemi said: “my father was Alhaji Prince Yinusa Adelowo Ayinde Owoyemi. His Mom was Princess Onagbadeke, daughter of Prince Onamade Sikuloye. Onamade’s Mom was Princess and Queen Ushenbanke Onadi, Queen to Oba Sikuloye Dagburewe of Idowa.  Princess Ushenbanke was the third Child and first Abidagba (Born on the Throne) daughter of Oba Awujale Fusengbuwa.

    “It was Princess Ushenbanke Fusengbuwa-Sikuloye that co-financed with her elder sister Princess Adekenu Fusengbuwa, the making of his junior brother, Prince Adesimbo Tunwase as an Oba Awujale in 1886.

    “Coincidentally, it was my late father Prince Yinusa Adelowo Owoyemi that solely played a vital role to the making of Prince Ephraim Olaneye (Sikuloye) as Oba Dagburrewe of Idowa in 1954. The Idowa Community also used my father’s personal house in Idowa as the town’s Oba Dagburewe Official Palace from 1954 till 1957.

    It was learnt that unwilling to accept the situation, the former ICAN president and four others on behalf themselves and the Fusengbuwa Ruling House filed  a suit (HCJ/18/2014) against Subomi Balogun,  Kayode Sote, Olu Adebanjo and also listed Oba  Adetona as fourth respondent in the matter.

    They sought to “challenge Otunba Subomi Balogun’s attempt to forcefully impose himself,” as their “Olori-Ebi.”

    But the matter took a disturbing dimension when the Awujale Office, Ijebu – Ode,  in a letter dated February 10, 2014 and signed by the monarch’s Secretary, Joseph Clement, suspended  the head of the Fusengbuwa Ruling House; Otunba Lateef Owoyemi as  an “Otunba of Awujale.”

    By the suspension order, he was restrained from further participation in activities at the Palace or any meeting of the Council of Otunbas.

    According to the Awujale Office, Owoyemi’s action against Oba Adetona is an “abomination and contrary to Ijebu culture, ancient custom and tradition.”

    However, Owoyemi told The Nation that  the purpose of listing Awujale’s name initially was for a “judicial declaration for His Majesty not to further recognise or deal with Otunba Subomi Balogun” as their Olori Ebi but added that the said action against the Awujale would no longer be pursued.

    Owoyemi said: “Our joining His Majesty in the suit as the fourth defendant was only for a judicial declaration for His Majesty not to further recognise or deal with Otunba Subomi Balogun as our Olori-Ebi.

    “Our doing was so based on the strength of sound legal advice from a number of senior legal experts, who we consulted before our action was filed.

    “We did not mean harm or inconvenience for our Royal Father, who we continue to hold in the highest possible esteem at all times.

    “However, following the intervention of respected, community leaders of Ijebuland, the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Alhaji Abdul-Rasak Salaudeen, as well as the Ijebu-Ode Council of Oloritun, we have on February 14th, 2014, filed notice of discontinuance of our action against the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba S. K. Adetona, and duly brought same to the notice of the Palace.”

    Although, Oba Adetona’s name in the suit has been withdrawn by Owoyemi and others but the one they filed against Subomi Balogun, Olu Adebanjo and Kayode Sote still remains even though no date has yet been fixed for its mention in Court.

    Already Otunba Subomi Balogun is said to have started carrying on as the new Olori-Ebi of Fusengbuwa Ruling and has pledged to unite members but his rival, Owoyemi appeared determined to deploy all lawful means to wrest the Olori-Ebi Office from Balogun. The battle has just begun and who wins or loses; only time will tell.

  • Another tanker accident at Aramoko -Ekiti claims lives

    Another tanker accident at Aramoko -Ekiti claims lives

    As another petrol tanker fell off its path, killing a minimum of six persons and destroying properties valued at millions of naira in Aramoko-Ekiti, Tuesday last week, fresh concerns were raised regarding the expediency of the completion of a long abandoned by-pass around the town by the Federal Government, writes SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN

    It was a harrowing sight, horrible and apocalyptic. Dense smell of human beings and other objects roasted by the ill-fated petrol laden tanker the evening of the day before assailed the nostrils as the reporter moved amidst the rubble and beheld heaps of charred red bricks and metals which littered the scene.

    There it was still, the reason for the sorrow. Though burnt and misshapen, the tanker laden at the time it fell off the high way with thousands of litres of fuel still lay rooted to the spot where no less than six persons met their untimely end Tuesday, last week.

    The accident which, according to eye witnesses, occurred some minutes to 6 pm on the day also destroyed two buildings, two vehicles, about ten motorcycles and other valuables, all valued at about N10 million.

    Mr. Babatimilehin Bamidele, an occupant of one of the two burnt buildings, lamented his fate, saying “My diploma certificate and other important documents have gone. I just came back from a journey, undressed and came outside to get some fresh air.

    “I was outside, chatting with friends under that tree when the truck came with the message of destruction. I could not recover anything. This cloth I am wearing was donated to me. I came out with only the trousers and singlet.

    Some of the dead, according to findings, included one Pa Abiodun Ololade, 78 years, Kokoro Owo reportedly in his fifties and a teenager said to be one Gani Foto’s step child. So also was 16-year-old Ahmed Bakare, an SS2 student of Aramoko District Commercial Secondary School.

    Other losers, aside those who lost dear lives, was Mr. Agunbiade Kareem. His Toyota Corrola car which “they had proposed to buy from me at N1.4 million”, two plasma TVs, Sharp TV, 6 DSTV decoders and a sum of N513,000 in cash were  burnt.

    Another, Mrs. Arowosafe Kubrat, explained she just returned from Osogbo with her Honda Accord car, noting “hardly had I entered my house after parking the car than I heard a loud explosion.

    “Rushing outside, I could not see the car again. The truck had fallen on it. Inside it was a sum of N103,000, some tubers if yam, and a leather box containing various dresses. The particulars of the vehicle and those of another vehicle were inside the car”, Kubrat said.

    The two buildings burnt, going by findings, belonged to Mrs. Agunbiade Ayisat Abiodun Falade and Chief Ololade Odofin Ilure. Efforts made to reach them were unsuccessful.

    Such occurrences of goods bearing trucks falling off their paths and devastating life and property had continued to menace the people of the communities which lie on the highway from Itawure junction down to Erio, Aramoko, Igede and Iyin.

    Findings also revealed that scores of such had equally been recorded in other parts of the State as elsewhere in the country.

    Chief Ololade Isaac, the Aro Ilure, explained that no fewer than 25 of such trucks had at various times in the past fallen off,  killing people and destroying properties.

    “The problem has to do with the sloppy pattern of the road which is a natural thing. There is nothing anyone can do to the road. What can be done is to have an alternative route which will take the trucks off this road.

    “Each time it occurred like this, we cry and shout. At the end, nothing would be done. Nothing is ever being done and it is just because those who are responsible for the completion of the road have never been affected. If they are once, the next day, they will mobilise to site and complete whatever remain”, Chief Ololade said.

    According to a young man who identified himself as Sunday, the driver of the truck had been aware that the truck’s propeller had detached just as he entered the town from Ibadan-Ilesa end but could perhaps no longer control the truck as it kept coming down the sloppy portion of the road towards the town’s main junction.

    Sunday said: “We were there when the truck was coming down and the propeller kept scratching the road. We followed it to see how he would manage but the truck went where it wanted to go. Immediately it rolled off the road into the buildings, it emitted thick smoke and then caught fire”.

    Although, victims of the accident had been taken to the mortuary while some had been buried, findings revealed that the driver of the tanker who was first detained at Aramoko Divisional Police Station had been released. Investigations also showed that some of the dead victims were still at the mortuary of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH).

    However, while some residents vowed to stop the trucks from plying the main road as an immediate outrage against the accident, they were later pacified on the excuse that it would not be possible to stop them unless an alternative was created.

    As many indigenes of the town had commented and findings have shown, there is another road, a by-pass, which can serve as an alternative route for the trucks and which has been abandoned by the federal government for well over thirty years.

    Baba Tiamiyu Lawal, Mr. Olawale Falusi and Baba Timilehin Bamidele, residents of the town condemned the Federal Government for abandoning the by-pass which could have taken the trucks and other heavy duty vehicles away from the township road and prevent the incessant accidents

    Also stating the worries of the residents, the town’s monarch, Oba Olu Adeyemi, who accompanied the Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu to the scene the next day lamented that the Federal Government had awarded the construction of a road that would link Ado-Ekiti  from Itawure near Efon Alaaye and which would by-pass Aramoko, Erio, Igede and Iyin Ekiti  during the regime of Alhaji Shehu Shagari in the second republic.

    Oba Adeyemi said, “The road that passes through our town is not only hilly but winding and this has been causing a lot of accidents. I want to believe that if there is a by-pass, some of these accidents would be prevented. And I urge the Federal Government to revisit the contract to save my people from untimely death”.

    Although, efforts made to locate the officer in charge of federal roads in Ekiti State was unsuccessful, there appears to be readiness on the part of the State government to either reconstruct or complete the by-pass.

    The state Governor Kayode Fayemi, gave this indication while on a condolence visit to the families of the victims.

    According to the governor, the alternative route, a by-pass, would be embarked upon and completed soonest by the administration, to take the trucks off the current route which has menaced lives and properties in the town and other towns in the area.

    While blaming the Federal Government for failing to reimburse the Ekiti State government for the N12 billion it spent to fix federal roads, Fayemi said the state would have embarked on the construction of Iyin-Itawure road which was awarded during the Shagari era but has been abandoned.

    Said he, ”We clearly cannot continue this way. It also brings to the fore the challenges we are facing fixing federal government roads. This state, as challenging as things are for us, we are being owed more than 12 billion Naira for doing roads belonging to federal government.

    “If that money has been returned to us, we would have embarked on the new Iyin-Itawure road which we have in our own plans and that would have taken all the vehicles away from this place so that our people can have a free access without fear of some drunken driver or break failure resulting in terrible and unfortunate death such as we have witnessed here. I think we need great cooperation from the Federal Government to live up to its own responsibilities”, Fayemi said.

    The governor also promised to ensure that more officials of the State Traffic Management Agency (EKSTMA) were deployed to the route to ensure that vehicles plying the route obey traffic regulations.

  • Peaceful students, trouble-shooting parents

    Peaceful students, trouble-shooting parents

    With the furore that accompanied the decision of students of Baptist High School, Iwo, to wear different, albeit unapproved school uniform(s) to school recently, reflecting their religious beliefs, one would have thought that the school and indeed the entire community would be on fire.

    But on February 10, Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola chose to visit and douse the tension, everywhere and everything were calm. The semi urban town was as usual quiet, so also was the secondary school that grabbed the headlines in the media recently for the wrong reason.

    By 7:45 a.m. when The Nation arrived at the sprawling premises of one of the most popular schools in Southwest, most of the teachers were already at work but the majority gathered in twos and threes, silently discussing the expected event of the day.

    Wearing curious looks, the teachers and the five principals in the school attempted to carry out the instruction of the Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary for the area (Osun West), Mr Adisa Olabamiji, to convene a single general assembly for all the students in the school. They were expecting the governor who pledged to visit the school for a peace meeting with all stakeholders in the crisis to address the general assembly.

    A total of 92 students had worn unapproved uniforms to school the week before to create chaos and attract the attention of the world to the uniform crisis rocking the ongoing reform in the secondary education system. While some wore church choir robes, some came to school in traditional egungun (masquerade) costume, stirring tension and controversy on the propriety of the school uniform policy of the state.

    But on this Monday morning, the students were in their normal joyous mood as they clutched to each other, trooping into the compound in large number. Unlike their teachers, the presence of some adults who converged inside the school compound near the gate, did not change the students’ mood. They were friends, colleagues and manifested no sign of segregation.

    This was conveyed in the way non-Muslim students clutched to their hijab-wearing Muslim friends and the happiness expressed in the way they exchanged banters as they walked into the compound. Obviously, to them, there was neither threat nor trouble. Peace could be read on their faces while they bubbled in friendship spirit. To the students, all was fine!

    They all appeared in the approved uniform distributed to them by the state government. With common chocolate brown trousers, skirt, shorts or pinafore as appropriate, the students donned yellow or gold colour top to match, with a beret to differentiate the schools. Female Muslims students, however, wore hijab as a mark of their religious belief.

    After a short period of foot-dragging, the bell for assembly rang at exactly 8:10 a.m. but the students did not gather quickly. It took them another 10 minutes before they responded to the call for assembly. At that time, suspicion was filling the air on the turn which the planned event would take as the crowd of adults at the gate was swelling.

    Then, the Tutor-General addressed the assembly. He told them that the state government meant well with the new policy, adding that the mega-school being constructed would accommodate most of the high school students in the area. He highlighted some of the specific aspects of the policy aimed at making the students better adults in the future. Mr. Olabamiji urged them to show understanding with the government and maximise the opportunities being offered them.

     

    The school

     

    Baptist High School, Iwo was established in 1955 by the Nigerian Baptist Convention. It was a first-class secondary school with full boarding facilities. Located in the then serene Adeeke area of Iwo but development later expanded the town to the location.

    It has produced several renowned personalities and carries the name of the Baptist church high. In spite of the take-over of all mission schools by the government in 1976, members of the church and the alumni still see Baptist High School, Iwo as a missionary school of sort.

     

    Build up to the event

     

    As the assembly was going on, the crowd of locals made up of parents and government officials began to grow steadily. At 12:27 pm, the helicopter conveying the governor appeared on he sky an appearance that threw the students into a frenzy of jubilation. They screamed and jumped as they moved towards the direction where the chopper was to land. They criss-crossed the lines they had formed to usher him into the open field, venue of the meeting, flouting directive of security agents. But they were not punished. It was emotional!

    A minute later, the green helicopter marked 5N BLI, touched ground. The ecstasy, particularly among the students and locals was palpable. They pressed towards the governor as they screamed: “Ogbeni, Ogbeni,” waving their hands.

    Aregbesola did not disappoint them. He also waved as soon as he became visible through the helicopter’s window in his school uniform. With a broad smile, he alighted from the copter and was led by security agents towards the waiting crowd. The governor ignored the thick dust generated from the preponderance of legs marching the graded piece of land as he trudged into the thick crowd. They massed him in ecstasy. It was a rousing welcome at its best!

    Then, the meeting commenced. It was an outpouring of emotion.

    After the opening prayer by representatives of the Christian, Muslim and traditional worshippers communities, the Secretary, Iwo Local Government, Alhaji Kamardeen Alao, welcomed the governor and members of his cabinet.

    Hailing Aregbesola for the systematic way he handled the crisis, he recalled that the deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori and the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, had visited the town to discuss with warring religious leaders but that it was good that the governor eventually came.

    He prayed for peace to continue to reign in the town and lauded the Aregbesola administration for the production of the learning tablet dubbed “Opon Imo.”

    Giving the reasons for the meeting, the Tutor-General, Mr Olabamiji, explained that the parley was to find a lasting solution to the crisis and to distribute Opon Imo to the students. He reiterated the need for peace to reign in schools and to support the Aregbesola administration.

    According to him, “our governor observed that poor results have been emanating from our schools. He was not happy. That is the reason he has been introducing several reforms in the education sector including appointing a principal as a Permanent Secretary (PS). It has never happened in the history of this state. With the many reforms, teachers are now working harder because they are happier and students are doing better in public examinations.

    “Eight days ago, trouble started in this school but we thanked God that our intervention changed things. We have held several peace meetings including the one called by governor last week. This is the biggest peace meeting.

    “This government believes that we are all one and religion should not tear us apart. Hence, he brought the government here to have a face-to-face meeting with stakeholders. Christians were not represented at the Osogbo meeting, hence, Aregbesola decided to come down here.”

    The PS disclosed that the school has a total of 2,123 students including 479 students in Senior Secondary School 3 (SS3).

    The Deputy Governor who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Laoye-Tomori explained that the gathering was not a political meeting but that people should not be surprised to see the crowd because Aregbesola has a magnetic pull.

    Addressing the crisis, she said: “The governor watched how some students came to school in unconventional uniform. But as a father to all, he directed that none of them should be punished. He has invited their parents and had a successful meeting with them on Friday. His coming (here today) is to broke permanent peace. Both the students and the parents are here.

    “For us in the Osun State, the importance we attach to education makes us put education in the front burner. We are determined to produce true leaders of tomorrow. That is why we provide appropriate tools and facilities that enhance learning. We always work for peace in our schools and everywhere in Osun. (And) in furtherance of the technology-based education, the governor will distribute Opon Imo to our students here today.”

    The Deputy-Governor sued for peace and love among students. “Let parents also lead in showing love,” she said.

    As the programme progressed, religious leaders were called upon to present their positions on the issue. First to speak was the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Iwo, Rev. Dr. Bayo Ademuyiwa.

    Ademuyiwa said, the Christian community, most of who are the parents were pained by the troubles emanating in the school system. Emphasising that the troubles are unnecessary, he said Christians would continue to reject wearing of unconventional uniform to school.

    “We are pained that unnecessary issues are troubling our education. CAN says ‘No’ to wearing of unconventional uniform. Our governor sees equity. He is not partial. We think the governor should make a statement on this. Christian children began to wear unconventional uniforms when they realised that their counterparts in other religions wore it without being punished.

    “At the meeting with the governor, religious leaders agreed that no child should wear unconventional uniform. Our children didn’t wear it today because we prevailed on them while Muslims wore theirs.

    “Christians want equity. Please define conventional uniform for all of us,” he said.

    He, however, charged students to concentrate on their studies, and not the uniform issue.

    In their presentation, spokesman for the Muslim community, Sheik Idris Mogaji, pointed out that Western education experienced delayed growth in Iwo in the early times because Muslims discovered that many of their children that went to school abandoned the religion for Christianity. “We are not interested in using force. We are just following the Qur’an. We support the government and its activities,” he said. He also alleged that Muslims are always criticised for sticking to the precepts of the Qur’an.

    In their presentation, spokesperson of the traditionalists Miss Ifawole Anifalaje, simply declared: “We are for peace and traditional religion does not support violence.” She thereafter pronounced a lengthy blessing on the gathering and the entire state.

    The representative of the Oluwo-in-Council, Chief Akeem Oyebimpe Bello, sued for peace among all stakeholders. He admonished students to concentrate on their studies and reject offer to be used as cannon fodders.

    He said: “Children, pay more attention to your studies than any other thing. The future belongs to you and education is what will help you to fulfill your dreams in life. This generation of your parents would soon grow old. This problem is age-long in Iwo. It was muffled by previous governors. We have held meetings with leaders of the two religions and we believe this administration will resolve it once and for all.”

    SS3 students in the school were given the Opon Imo by the Deputy Governor. She disclosed that government was working towards distributing 150,000 copies of the tablet across the state.

    Two of their representatives, Samuel Aremu and Mutiyat Bashir, expressed gratitude to the governor for the tablets. They also appealed to parents to allow them concentrate on their studies by shunning any action that is capable of causing chaos in the schools.

    Samuel said: “We students have no problem among ourselves. Those misbehaving are being sponsored by their parents. Parents, let peace reign.”

    “We are not happy about this chaos. We beg our parents to let peace reign. We can’t concentrate on our studies in an atmosphere of chaos. Government, please do something about it,” Bashir said.

    Addressing the crowd, Aregbesola, after singing three Yoruba songs that emphasised the importance of education, told the audience that he attended school in a local community but thanked God for taking him to his current position.

    “I came to address you children, especially. This is the only platform for you to become great in life. You can be great if you pay attention to your studies and work hard. That is why we take education seriously. No state takes education as seriously as the Osun State. I want to advise you to face your studies. Your future is important to us. Let our investments on you show.

    “When you see us running up and down, it is because we want you to have a great future. Don’t let such ugly incident recur. Wise people don’t show protest in a way that will destroy the society. When they push you, don’t push yourselves.

    “For efficiency, we divided school management into three with three Tutors-General as heads. We have also employed over 10,000 teachers, 58 per cent of the number of teachers we inherited. We give free food and fruits, all with a view to improving the quality of education in the state. We can only be proud to see you succeed. Don’t let us regret what we are doing. We are building excellent schools. It is all because of you and future generations. We have paid N400 million for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination this year. We spent N850 million yearly to remove the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) levy. This government has good plan for you.”

    The governor disclosed that a section of the society went to court over the matter because the government is neutral. He said the government could not go further on the issue pending the determination of the case. But he emphasised; “Those inciting people against us will fail.”

    Aregbesola declared: “I have decided to visit you today after I heard about a little misunderstanding and consequent bad behaviour by a very tiny number among you, which does not by any stretch of the imagination approximate the spirit of amity and scholarship in this school and even the community. The manner in which you have all received me has put a lie to the antics of mischief makers, who made futile bid to impress upon the whole world that this school and indeed Iwo town are on the verge of civil war.

    “On the contrary, what I have seen are happy students in gay mood willing to project the Omoluabi ethos and looking to the future with great hope. This indeed is our desire for you. Our philosophy of education is the creation of the total man, a man who is physically, intellectually, morally and spiritually equipped to contribute to societal development. This is a man who views his acquisition and life attainment as instruments in the service of society and improvement of fellow citizens. This new person stands confident and radiates love to fellow human beings and is never threatened by other people who are different from him or her in some respects.

    “Education is the means by which this new man is produced. Our interest in education even goes further. The world is now a rapidly changing place. Knowledge has become the basis of power and no longer the old notions of large territory, large army, large human population and large deposits of material resources.

    “The most powerful nations are those that know how to use resources and trade in knowledge. Our world is now controlled by those who know technology and not those who have it. It means in essence that a nation that knows how to manufacture cars, tractors and nuclear weapons is superior to those who merely have the money to buy them. The former is the master while the later is a mere servant.

    As we are, we are already marginalised in that world and our pie will further shrink in the future if we do not prepare our youth to compete favourably in that imminent future. We are therefore preparing those who will be political leaders, scientists, clergies, diplomats, inventors, captains of industries and leaders in all respects in the next 20 years, at least.”

     

    Education: before and now

     

    The governor rolled out data on steps taken and policies introduced so far to address the poor state of education. He enjoined all stakeholders to support the efforts aimed at putting the state on the world map, particularly in the area of teaching and learning and its attendant harvests.

    His words: “Let me briefly intimate you with our commitment to education since our inauguration three years ago. The first thing we did was to convoke an education summit which was attended by eminent stakeholders in education, including Prof. Wole Soyinka. The reforms we have carried out emanate from the summit. We realised that there was shortage of teachers and as of now, we have employed 10,407 teachers in all categories of schools. We now have a total number of 12,715 teachers in primary schools and 7,848 teachers in secondary schools. This is 54.8 per cent more than we inherited. We have also employed 564 non-teaching staff in schools.

    The salaries and pensions we consequently pay every year is N16.8 billion for primary school teachers while N10.3 billion is expended on same in secondary schools. So, on salary alone, we are spending a total of N27.1 billion. For the free school uniforms we gave to pupils, we have spent N900 million. For the free school feeding programme, we commit N3.6 billion every year. For the furniture supplied to the schools, we have committed N2.5 billion. Before we came, no school had instructional materials and again, on this, we have spent N503 million. The total grants to schools stand at N856 million against N122 million recorded for previous administration. We have also paid N400 million for WAEC fees against N38 million paid by previous administration.

    We have spent so far N1.2 billion on Opon Imo and this includes the delivery of 50,000 units of the tablets, some of which will be distributed in this school today. We have spent N14.4 billion on capital projects so far for the construction of brand new 13 elementary schools, 14 middle schools and 12 high schools. Work is ongoing. We have also spent N1.6 billion on school renovations and will continue until all our schools are all centres of excellence.

    The total recurrent annual expenditure on elementary schools is N21 billion, amounting to N84,000 per capital spending on each pupil while for secondary schools, it is N13.43 billion and per capital of N30,000 on each pupil. Our capital expenditure on all schools stands at N31.31 billion.

    We are not just bandying figures. These are good money spent and reflected on increased school enrolment and healthy and well-fed school children; in the cutting edge instrument of Opon Imo; in conducive environment for learning; and in drastically improved performance in internal and national examinations. They are reflected in brand new uniforms; in fulfilled teachers who now have instructional aid for the first time; in promptly paid salaries; and ultimately in self assured youths bracing up with confidence to the future.

    Beyond our financial commitment, we have invested hope in you; the hope that you will realise your greatest potentials and be a winner in your life endeavour; the hope that you will redeem our future that looked bleak hitherto. You cannot let us down. It is our hope that Nobel Laureates; renowned clergies like Pastors Adeboye and Kumuyi; Imams like Sheik Adelabu; army generals like Petinrin; great entertainers like Moses Adejumo (Baba Sala), Kareem Adepoju (Baba Wande) and King Sunny Ade; inventors like Prof. Makanjuola; eminent jurists like Kayode Esho and Emmanuel Ayoola; astute diplomats like Hastrup and Fafowora; and great politicians like Bola Ige.

    I want you to know that our concern for you is getting the best education available. You should, therefore, avoid distractions and indiscipline. We view you all as created equal by God and are therefore our shining stars. We cannot place any group above other.”

     

    Government’s position on the crisis

     

    Aregbesola insisted that a pending case against the government on the case renders it incapacitated to act further.

    “We are a product of the rule of law and this has guided all our actions. As we have said in the past, we have not approved the use of hijab in any school. Let me repeat this again for the hearing of mischief-makers who have been working tirelessly to bring religious war to our state; those prompting chaos and conflagration in our state; those who have well established antecedent of violent behaviour; those sowing the seed of discord in our schools and community and inciting one religion against another (and they will all fail miserably by the grace of the Almighty), that the government did not at any time approve the use of hijab in any school, before the matter went to court. It is the court’s position that the status quo ante be maintained until the case is determined. This means that where it is in use, it will be maintained and it should not be extended to where it is not. This is the beauty of democracy, where there is respect for the rule of law.

    We have set up a committee on discipline in public school and when we receive their report, we shall begin to enforce discipline in all schools. The future we are preparing you for has no place for unruly and undisciplined persons. Order, they say, is the first law in Heaven.

    Yoruba people have a tradition of accommodation and inclusion; that is why our families are interwoven around all religions. Some people, goaded from hell, however, are working to break our bond of unity by beating the drum of religious war. They will fail and only they and their families will dance to that evil beat,” Aregbesola concluded. He, thereafter, set up a six-man committee headed by Barr. Gbadegesin Adeseji. The committee has one week to examine the crisis and submit its recommendations

     

  • ‘Comedy is good but I regret abandoning my furniture making career’

    ‘Comedy is good but I regret abandoning my furniture making career’

    His name might not ring any bell in Nollywood today, but Pa Ola Omonitan, popularly known by his stage name Ajimajasan is one of the earliest Yoruba theatre artistes to popularise comedy. At 74, Aji Father looks back at his career and expresses regret that he did not capitalise on the opportunities he had in the past to make lots of money. He spoke with BISI OLADELE

    Though he has grown older than the face one used to see on the television screen some 30 years ago, Ajimajasan is still surprisingly agile. He hasn’t lost his idiosyncrasy. Ever smiling, happy and above all, filled with funny acts, even at 74.

    After series of efforts to get him for this interview, Pa Ajimajasan, who is always courteous on the telephone and during face-to-face conversations, arranged our meeting for a near-public place at Dugbe, the central business district in Ibadan, Oyo State capital. On getting there, this reporter needed not ask anyone before sighting him. And his Ijesa dialect is still fresh and illuminating. It was an interesting one-hour encounter!

    What was your first occupation in life?

    I lost my father when I was eight years old. I went to primary school and after that I learnt to speak four different languages by reason of the tough conditions I encountered while growing up. I am from a polygamous family. Early in life, I went to Patigi, Kwara State, as a house boy with a European. I took this job because I hated begging. My first job was carpentry and I learnt it in Ibadan for six years, while I stayed with my brother, the late Adebisi Aromolaran. I am also talented in drama, but I took to carpentry as an alternative to drama so I could survive if drama went down. My contemporaries in drama are Ola Olumegbon, Lere Paimo, Ojo Ladipo, Moses Omilani, Jimoh Aliu and our mentors then were late Duro Ladipo, Bola Ogunmola, Oyin Adejobi, Baba Ogunde, Baba Sala. When I came into limelight in this drama job, we were connected with top people in the society including General Jembewon. But I made a mistake then because I didn’t utilise the opportunity to make additional income through those influential people because I have passion for this job. We were two prominent comedians then – Moses Olaiya (aka Baba Sala) and myself. Ojo Ladipo later joined the league.

    During your days, drama was acted on stage but the situation had since changed. How would you compare comedy then and now?

    The present comedians deserve to be praised because they are performing well, they took it from where we stopped to the current level. They are now doing better all the things we could not do. I was the first comedian to act a comedy series for one year. 52 episodes of one hour each on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) from 1981. It was aired on all the NTA stations. We started with “Omo Araye Le”, “Bata Wahala” and “Ogun L’aye.” You cannot compare our own days with the present because we were underdeveloped then but all our works really made a mark.

    Do you have any relationship with the present generation of comedians?

    Yes, I do. Babatunde Omidina (aka Baba Suwe) and Sanyeri, among others do still come to seek advice from me.

    What was your troupe like in those days and how will you describe your achievement then?

    I always thank God for giving me the opportunity to be able to gather that troupe. Baba Sala was a one-man comedian and a role model, but I didn’t like imitating others. Baba Sala’s comedy show was on Wednesdays, ours was on Mondays. If you see most of our comedians now they copy Baba Sala because they prefix their name with ‘Baba’. But instead of calling myself Baba Something, I called myself ‘Ajimajasan’, that was where I showed my uniqueness.

    How did you come across that name?

    My maternal grandmother used to sell meat and I used to eat meat a lot. So, she used to call me Ajimajasan (a meat lover). When she later died I took after that name in order to always remember her. I gained stardom during my days to the extent that before appearing on stage, the audience will be laughing already and that was what gave me an edge over Baba Sala. My troupe comprised Baba Eleko, Iya Ijebu, Adamson, Jacob, Aderupoko, Papilolo and myself. We were seven. We trained ourselves to the extent that within five minutes on state you had to produce a comedy. My troop was very strong then but at the end of the day we got separated.

    What caused the separation?

    It was because we wanted to copy the white men. There was a foreign comedian called ‘Jester.’ I told my troupe members that we should create another troupe called ‘Jester,’ that will not be limited only to the stage but would also offer stand-up comedy, entertaining guests at social gatherings.  Papilolo had the talent of converting songs to create jokes. Jacob also had the ability to display. Aderupoko could also convert songs and it was accepted by the audience. But later, some members of my troupe decided to stay alone because they believed they could stand alone. When they told me that they wanted to stand alone, I was shocked. The three of them – Jacob, Papilolo and Ader-upoko left in a day. I said there is no problem. A good composer should not be afraid, if any of his members was leaving his troupe.  It was Papilolo that brought the idea of converting songs to create jokes in a stand-up comedy and it was well accepted by the audience. When they left, some people were of the opinion that I should not have allowed them to leave the same day but I told them that I cannot hinder their progress. Jacob served me for 13 years, Aderupoko served for eight years, and Papiplolo, six years. So, I saw no reason why I should hold them down when they wanted to leave for greener pasture. Their leaving didn’t affect me because I was the one God gave the idea of composition in the troupe. They were like organists while I was the musician. So, it did not affect me but what hurt me most was that when I took a script to Lagos for a show, I was told that most of the script had been acted by the three of them. I also went to other states, I was told the same thing. So, I called them for a meeting and asked them what was happening to all my scripts. They have left my group but they were still performing my comedy in their shows. But Jacob laughed and said: “When a carpenter finishes apprenticeship from his boss, his products will be exactly like his boss’. Then, I said no problem, but I ask them for prayers and I also prayed for them and we departed. They were very nice boys to me and I had confidence in them.

    You earlier mentioned that Baba Sala was your senior in the business. Did you always compete?

    Yes, we did. People turned us into enemies which ought not to happen. Again, some artists believed that we were competing enemies but I did not see it that way. I like Baba Sala because he was a good comedian and I always praised him for that. When our misunderstanding started he went to the North and we were given his time on NTA every Wednesday instead of our normal Monday. When he came back he was annoyed with the new arrangement, saying that we also took the show’s name ‘Awada’ from (his) ‘Alawada’ series. So, he said he was taking us to court for that and NTA said it was ready to defend us because it was NTA that gave us that stage name but later we did not hear anything from the court again.

    How will you rate this present generation’s comedy?

    What we have not seen or done in our time are now being included in today’s comedy. They now incorporate new things and the world itself is changing fast. We have strange things happening today. Imagine, homosexuality in the society today. That didn’t happen during our time. The more the world is changing, the more comedy activities will be changing. I recently saw a picture and story in the newspaper that a father wanted to sell his six children and he put them inside a wheel barrow. If a comedian uses that as his story line all the audience will laugh. But during our time the audience will not believe it because all those evil things were hard to find then.

    In your days there was nothing like Nollywood, but now we have comedians, artistes and others making waves in the industry and they are making a lot of money now. Did you ever imagine it could be this better?

    At all, we didn’t believe that it can get to this level because only cinema films were fashionable then. We didn’t even believe we could start acting at all. It was Orlando Martins that acted a film then and he was speaking Yoruba. So, the audience was thrilled. So, the movie was showed for seven days instead of three days because everybody was rushing the ticket. It was only the white men that produced film then. Orlando was a Yoruba man but schooled in America. He was just like an angel then. Whenever we touched his hands we will not want to wash it off. Most Nigerian artistes, then, too could not believe they can appear on the screen.

    Looking at the industry now and the money in it, would you have wished that Nollywood had come during your time?

    Although, we wish we could have Nollywood during our days but money was hard to find in our time. But the Naira was strong then because I can remember I bought a new Mercedez Benz car then for N10,500. I bought my Volvo car for N6,500. But now, there is money in Nollywood, we thank God for that and we also thank God that we are still relevant in the history of comedy and acting in Nigeria.

    Nollyhood has really reduced the work of the artistes because actions are magnified to be the best with new technological equipment. But, during our time, we would work hard to get the best. Most of today’s artistes are doing well and making more money every day, but I thank God that I am alive to witness it because I would have died. There was no such money during our days and the industry was full of stigmatisation. Any woman acting would be labelled a prostitute then. There was a female banker in 1982 that came to our location. She wanted to join our group. That was when I started suspecting that there is a great future for our profession. I was in Lagos then because I had relocated to Lagos when my boys left me and I started another new system because I believe in myself and I won another contract with a telecom outfit for ‘Omo Araye Le’. There was a time a white man was carrying out a research with us and I told him that I did not want to marry more than one wife. I told him that I was afraid, that bringing in more women may lead me into marrying more wives. But he advised that the best thing to do was to bring them in as guest artistes. We would give them a script and put them on payroll. So, when I got to Lagos I started inviting all the artistes and we acted ’Omo Araye Le.’ The artistes included Baba Wande, Lere Paimo, Bello, Aluwe and others. What the white man taught me was what I used to produce ‘Omo Araye Le’ and ‘Bata Wahala’ and they were acceptable to our fans.

    How do you source materials for your plays?

    They come in two forms. We develop them from true life story, although it may be tragic to the fans. We also get some in our dreams or sometimes in the news.

    Ajimajasan was a very popular name in the past but the present generation don’t seem to know you by that name, what happened?

    When I relocated from Ibadan to Lagos, I discovered that it would be a difficult thing for non-Yoruba to pronounce ‘Ajimajasan.’ So, I changed it to ‘Baba No Regret’, ‘Awaiting Millionaire’ or ‘A fool at 40 is a fool forever’. So it was easy for every tribe to pronounce it.

    I was sick sometime ago when I had prostate cancer. It was discovered late, and I spent so much money. I even taught I would die. The sickness started about six years ago but God took control when Aare Musulunmi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Abdul-Azeez Arisekola-Alao came to my aid. I was even duped by some people just because I wanted to be healed. They passed a 36ft rubber hose into me to urinate but when Alhaji Arisekola came to my aid, I went to South Africa for the surgery and he was the one who paid the bills.

    I was surprised and told him that I don’t know why he likes me so much because I am a Christian and he is a Muslim. But he laughed and said that Nigerians must overgrow the sentiment of religion and work for the progress of the country. He said Nigerians need to cultivate this idea of helping one another without being religion biased. I thank God that I am healthy now.

    What is the state of your health now?

    I thank God for His mercy because I am healthy now and my struggle will continue. Very soon a film on Nigerian politics will be released and the title is ‘Do or Die.’ It is aimed at warning politicians against do-or-die politics. I have to work in order to be able to feed myself.

    With your long years of experience you don’t need to work hard again. At which level do you wish to operate in the movie industry?

    I want to participate in drama but money will decide the position one will be. The amount of money you have for the production will determine your role. If I have money and a good sponsor, all the new technologies used by the foreign artistes will be used for the production. I am also scared of piracy. They will buy one disc and go to Alaba Market to mass dub it into millions of copies. We will sell our film at N300, they sell theirs at N100. We have complained to the government but till date, there is nothing they could do to stop them. If a producer spends N10 million on the production of a film, if he is not careful, piracy will plunge him into debt.

    Is any of your children into acting of comedy?

    Although, they wish to do but I didn’t allow them. I like the idea that ‘Oga Bello’ adopted. Our children should first graduate from the university, have all the necessary degrees and then, they can do anything they like. Look at Femi Adebayo now. He is a lawyer – competent one for that matter. So, many of his (Bello’s) children did the same thing. If drama goes down, they will be able to rely on their profession.

    As an icon in this industry, what is your advice for the upcoming artistes and those intending to be?

    I pray they will be able to listen to my advice and yield to it. From experience, they should have another vocation or skill and should not depend on drama alone. They should look for a profitable business to rely upon because of the future and that was the mistake I made when I finished learning my furniture work. I should have continued with it. I would not have found myself in this mess.

     

  • Osun governor’s wife challenges artistes on culture

    Osun State Governor’s wife, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam have urged theartre artistes to instill good culture and character in the young ones through their profession.

    The duo spoke in Osogbo on Sunday at the launch of a Yoruba film, produced by Mrs. Foluke Amere, wife of the House of Representative member, representing Iwo/Ayedire/Ola-Oluwa Federal Constituency, Hon. Gafar Amere, which was celebrated amidst fanfare.

    Mrs Aregbesola, who described artiste as teachers, said that evidences have shown that young ones, cultivate the habit they watch on films.

    She added that the artistes can assist the administration of Governor Aregbesola in the propagation of Omoluabi ethos being propagated by the administration.

    She added: “Artistes are teachers, because what our children, even the old watch on video sometimes serve as guide for them.

    “This is the reason our thearter professionals must always come up with ideas that will instill good character in our children,” she said.

    Also, Hon. Salaam urged the artistes to always be proud of their profession and use it to help the government in the development of society.

    He said: “As you entertain, try to use your profession to help the society by propagating Omoluabi culture.”

    Commending the governor for ensuring peace in the state, which, according to him, allows all professions to thrive, he said that this has brought rapid development to the state.

    Speaking, the producer of the film, Mrs Amere said that the film was tailored towards propagating Omoluabi ethos.

    She further noted that the major objective of the film was to showcase Yoruba culture and tradition.

    Present at the occasion were the state Deputy Governor, Otunba Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; Senators Babajide Omoworare of Osun East, Mudashir Hussein of Osun West and Gbenga Ashafa from Lagos State.

    Other are members of the House of Representatives, members of the state House of Assembly, members of the state executive council, Yoruba film producers, actors and actresses among others.

  • Demand regionalism at conference, Ajimobi urges Yoruba leaders

    Demand regionalism at conference, Ajimobi urges Yoruba leaders

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has urged Yoruba leaders to demand the re-introduction of regional government at the forthcoming National Conference.

    He spoke at the second preliminary meeting on the Yoruba position at the forthcoming conference.

    The meeting was held at the Ishara-Remo, Ogun State country home of an Afenifere chieftain, Sir Olaniwun Ajayi.

    Ajimobi canvassed the adoption of the 1960 Constitution with minor adjustments to suit the present day Nigeria and its peculiarities.

    He urged Yoruba leaders to focus on advancing the course of the region at the conference.

    Ajimobi stressed the need for the constitution of a technical committee that would coordinate and aggregate the official position of the Yoruba at the conference.

    He said the committee should consist of experienced technocrats, who have held sensitive positions within and outside the government, adding that all Southwest states should be equally represented.

    Ajimobi, who decried the disparity in the allocation of revenue to states, urged the elders to focus on why the government at the centre should have less allocation and states.

    Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Chief Olu Falae lauded Ajimobi’s developmental strides in Oyo State.