The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • ‘Our society want evil to triumph over good’

    ‘Our society want evil to triumph over good’

    Retiring Archbishop of Ibadan Diocese of the Catholic Church, Archbishop Emeritus Felix Alaba Job, has taken a swipe at the societal attitude of promoting evil over good even as he condemns advocates of same sex marriage. Bishop Job, who is bowing out on January 24, 2014, after 47 years in the Lord’s vineyard, 42 of which he spent as a Bishop, says same sex union is not marriage as decreed by God. In an interview with a select group of journalists to mark his imminent retirement, Bishop Job also comments on some national and international issues and reveals that he initially rejected his appointment as a Bishop by Pope Paul VI, but the Pope insisted. BISI OLADELE was there

    Can you recall some major highlights in your long years of service as you head for retirement at the end of this month?

    By the grace of God, I have been called to the service of Christ and His people for the last 47 years. In the past 42 years, that is, at the fifth year of my priesthood, I was called to the episcopacy. That is, I was made a bishop. Since 1994, I have been a metropolitan archbishop. It is not easy to reflect on some occasions but the fact is everyday has been a mystery, an occasion because by His grace, I have celebrated Eucharist every day of my priesthood. And some days, I have said up to three masses.

    When we celebrate the mass as the Church and the saints expect of us, we are admonished to celebrate as if it is our first and it is our last. You can imagine calling on Jesus. God made man to become the sacred host that you hold in your hands. And you hold the chalice of wine in your hands and you call upon Him and He turns that wine into His blood. What are you asking for? Other mysteries? Or is it when you administer the sacraments? The sacrament of baptism? The sacrament of pennies? When you absolve some people of their sins you see the joy in their heart that they are now liberated by their God. And now they are really moved … How many am I going to count? Or is it when I raise my hand with the holy oil to anoint a child of God to make him or her a perfect Christian, a soldier of Christ?

    I have this opportunity so often, so many. I cannot begin to pinpoint just one day or one occasion. Or is it that the young baby that you baptised, you now raise to priesthood? Is it that day you will call the only day? Or the one you gave all the ministries, you ordained, you lay your hands on to make him a bishop or an archbishop because I have had the privilege to do many. My life has all been full of great moments. Is it the child you baptised you now join in holy wedlock to give the sacrament of holy matrimony? Or at the bed of the dying, you give the sacrament! You see the peace of departing this world. Even though it is a departure, but you see the peace coming from them, transiting from this world to eternity. Will you say that is not something? I do not believe in talking about other social events. I am full and I praise God for that.

    In the course of your years as a top priest the church has grown very large in Nigeria but there is the concern that righteousness is not growing at same rate. What is your position on this?

    When people make observations, you must find out their background. I was a young man coming from Rome on September 14, 1967. And I was handed my letter of appointment by my Bishop`, John Aggey. And he sent me to start two new parishes in the then Egbado, now in Yewa part of Ogun State. I started the two parishes. When I was transferred to Ibadan here in September 1969, I already had 16 out-stations in my two parishes. Was it because the people had money? No. Was it because they were worried and disturbed by some people and therefore needed to run to church? No. It was because Christ made Himself known to them and they accepted Him. The same thing here in Ibadan. When I became the bishop of Ibadan in 1974, there were only eight parishes. There were only two diocesans and priests. All the other priests were missionaries. Today, by the grace of God, we have 32 parishes in the city. By the grace of God, we have 96 diocesan priests. Is it because these young men had nothing to do that made them run to the church? Surely, no. God is working among us. It is also the same thing in the social realm. In those days we had only three regional governments and Bendel (Mid-West). How many states do we have now? When you look back, in those days I used to tell stories of how I used to time myself from Oke Are to Ajilete, going through Abeokuta. It was two hours. I could make journey to Lagos in two and a half hours from Abeokuta because there was no expressway then.

    Today, how many cars are on the road? We have traffic congestion. Or look at Ibadan. It took me less than five minutes to get to Eleta from my house at Onireke. But today, it will take me about 35minutes. There is development everywhere.

    It is a sign of God’s presence, love graciousness in our midst. But man has always been an ingrate. You only need to look at the history of man. The Greek civilisation ended with sophistry. The Egyptian civilisation ended the same way. On the same level, Epicureanism ended it. The Western civilisation is coming to an end. And what is killing us? Immorality! All over the media: radio, TV, all that, the advert is family planning. They are brainwashing us. They make us believe that our problem is having too many children. Is that the problem of Nigeria? The problem of overpopulation or the thought of it existed before the birth of Jesus Christ. Malthus once propounded that the world was getting too many people that it would just collapse into the ocean. Has that happened? France, China had population policies. But has China not changed the policy of one family one child this past year? France has changed long ago. But because of the problem of the modern means of communication which only project what they want you to know, France has changed from one or two children to the point that if you have three, government would take care of them. The USA is now on a policy but a very catchy policy. They do not tell you that they need you but they ask you to come and play visa lottery. Why! Because the country has developed the social services and the state has not enough money to take care of the elderly. So they want young, active, educated citizens of other countries to come and labour for them. When you get there, you have to prove that you are fit to live in their country. Hence, it takes years of working before you are given citizenship. But upon all these, the point is your tax which is 40 per cent of your salary. That is all to help their nation. What is Nigeria out for? We have thousands of hectres of land uncultivated. Telecommunications companies which came to Nigeria in 2001 have today cultivated up to 40,000 hectares of land in the North with Jatropha plant to make diesel to power the generators at their power stations. The seeds have been developed. When you crush the seeds, the one that floats is pure diesel that Indians have developed to the extent that they use it to propel the machine that crushes the seed. They have discovered that from the seed, you can get diesel, animal feeds and medicinal products. If Nigeria plants and commercialises it, it will help the economy. It is so easy to plant. It has been discovered that the plant can survive without rain for two years. And it will still produce. It does not grow more than four meters. So you can pluck it easily. Yet, Nigeria is not looking that way.

    As a high priest of about 50 years experience how would you describe the relationship between church leaders and political leaders in this country, including former military leaders?

    I thank God that I am now over 42 years as a bishop. The leaders of the church are the bishops. You can look back to 1960. First the Catholic Independence (newspaper) came in 1960. And by the grace of God, it has not closed down since then. What is it meant for? To inform the faithful in faith, morals and in education. In all of these, the Church has been a helper to the government of this country. The Church in the field of education has provided more than 38 per cent of all the institutions. The church in the field of health is 48 per cent. I have been in charge of health for so long so I know what I am talking about. The Church has advised every government that came in. Some have listened, some have not. At least in Oyo State, a member of the House wrote me that if a political party was established based on the tenets of the church and the principles enunciated by the tenets, it will be the best political party for the people. This member of the House was Lam Adesina. Even though a Muslim, he acknowledged what the bishops have done. And you can remember that every year, the press and politicians do acknowledge that the bishops have spoken the truth without fear or favour. That has been the relationship of the light that shines in darkness and sometimes the darkness does not comprehend it. The Church has played her role in different capacities in the Bishops’ Conference. I have represented the Bishops’ Conference everywhere within and outside Nigeria. I thank God that the Church in Nigeria has been prominent in the whole world. And (in the Catholic Church), Bishop Ekandem is the first Catholic bishop in the whole of West Africa.

    After him came Cardinal Arinze who also worked in Rome for many years. We have Cardinal Onaiyekan, Cardinal Anthony Okogie and many of us bishops in different commissions and committees worldwide. And for the nation, we have been in different positions. I have been on the state advisory board on education since 1969.

    How would you describe your successor?

    Archbishop Gabriel Abegunrin Ojeleke has been a bishop since 1985. He has 18 years of experience. He started Osogbo Diocese. For us, we know, it is not who you are but what God makes of you. From my own perspective, I was only five years in priesthood when I was appointed bishop. I rejected it. I was writing up and down. But my rejection letter was rejected and I felt angry. As a young man, I said I knew my cannon laws. You can’t force me. But God’s ways are not our ways. Even though I wrote rejection, Pope Paul VI who is now deceased, did not follow the code of cannon law. Something propelled him to say: “You must accept.”

    Working for God is not ourselves, it is of the Holy Spirit. Somebody has asked me how somebody will fit into my shoes having worked so much for 42 years. My reply was that I am sorry, nobody will fit my shoes. I was given the shoes by somebody whose household it is that I am. He has now appointed somebody to take my place. The Holy Spirit has chosen my successor. He won’t leave him alone. He will give him his own shoes bigger than my own to do the work He wants to be done. The Catholic Church is unlike other institutions. Holy Spirit determines. It is a long process of choosing a bishop. Christ has made His choice through our holy father, Pope Francis. This church belongs to Christ. He is the head and the church is His body and He will never abandon His own. He has promised to be with His church. I have no doubt that he will perform as the Lord wants this Church to be and he will perform better than myself. Just give him the chance. Trust in the Lord and you will see the difference.

    Sir, in your reign as high priest up to the present time, same sex marriage is gaining ground all over the world…

    (Cuts in)

    I beg your pardon. That’s a mistake. It is not so. They are only making noise. You know empty barrels make a lot of noise. It is gaining ground in only a few places. You can go ahead now.

    At the present time, Europe and America are somehow forcing other countries to amend their laws to allow same sex marriage. We even have gay bishops in some countries. What message will you give to the Church, particularly Nigerians on this issue?

    The issue of gays is one of human weaknesses. You do not promote your weakness. You do not say because somebody has to eat, therefore you should go as an armed robber and kill and steal other people’s money. This is a weakness of humanity. It has always been there. It is not new. Only its coming newly into the church. But as I have said, it is a sign of the decadence of Western civilisation. And decadence is not to be favoured but to be rejected for purity of life. Everybody knows that the Bible is against same sex union. They are not marriages. God is against it because God created male and female and blessed them to increase and multiply. This decadence is the work of the devil. Many people don’t want us to speak of the devil and sin but whether they want it or not, the reality is there. When I look at the situation in our world of today, I remember what Jesus said that scandals must come. But He added quickly that woe betides the person through whom it comes. He described what measure should be given. He said it were better if the person had a stone tied to his head and thrown to the sea. Why stone? So that he will never float again. Simply put, he will perish in the depth of the sea. Our people are putting balloons on those who commit scandal and showing them to the world as examples. Is that not the opposite of nature? Nobody washes his or her dirty linen in public. But the present situation in our society is that they want evil to triumph over good. But God who created heaven and earth has said He would not change. He has promised to be forever faithful. When He is peeping into His faithfulness, when some people have committed sins, others will share in the punishment. That is why I am warning humanity not to succumb to evil.  Evil might come in the appearance of good. That is always the case because the human intellect chooses the good. But when it comes in the appearance of goodness learn to choose the substance from the shaft. Is it reasonable that a man should marry a man and a woman should marry a woman? The natural propensity is self multiplication. These same people are claiming this natural propensity. The man cannot marry a man and get a child neither can a woman marry a woman and get a child. So they go into society and ask that they be given the right to adopt children. But who is supposed to bear these children? If they think it is their right and everybody is allowed to practise what they are doing, how would we get children that they are legally applying to adopt? It is against nature. The churches that have permitted it, I am sorry, they are not being faithful to Christ. And Jesus said about them that the time will come that people will only listen to what itches their ears. They will not want the truth. Furthermore, Jesus has warned us that the time will come when they will come and deceive His people, saying Jesus is here; Jesus is there. He said we should not listen to them. That is my advice.

    How soon do you think the world can witness emergence of a Black pope sir?

    The world has witnessed four African popes in the past. Having a Black pope is like the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody knows the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come. Felix Job is too young, too insignificant to know the time. But the Holy Spirit knows when. And at the appropriate time, I am certain, sure that at the appropriate time, He would bring somebody of a different colour.

    You will retire as the Archbishop of Ibadan on January 24, what are your expectation from the priests you will leave behind and the entire church?

    My expectation of the Archbishop is that he will remain who he is, the man of God, a man of the Church and a man of the people. As a man of God, you listen to the voice of God. As a man of the Church, you follow the dictates of the Church. As a man of the people, you give your life for the people. The same I expect from the priests, the consecrated persons and the faithful – to remain in the ark of salvation; to remain faithful members of the Church; to  be the mystical body of Christ present here in our midst. There are many things for us to think about than the physical, social talks going round. We need to open our inner and outer eyes and ears to be people of faith and see the wonders God is doing in our midst and rejoice in the Lord rather than complaining. I am sure my priests, the consecrated persons, my faithful, immediately the announcement was made, they all praised God and rose as a team to congratulate the new Archbishop, telling him he is welcome. And he has come to me several times.  We have already discussed, in my own way, I am not attached to anything. All I have, I have told him. I have many plants in my house. I have told him to do whatever he likes with them when he comes. I have nature around me. But they all belong to him now to control. In the Catholic Church, we do not grab. We live as an individual. We brought nothing to this world and we will go with nothing.

    If it were possible to address all world church leaders on your retirement day, what single message would you give them?

    To advise is not mine. To suggest is in my purview. I would suggest that we should be single-minded in all that we do because human beings are complex. If you go to anywhere to serve, serve the Lord single-mindedly. That is what Jesus has taught us. He did not count his position as God to grab. He emptied Himself. He became like us in all things. Go single-mindedly and do whatever God has called you to do. Give and you shall receive. Never hold back. Trust in the Lord and He will support you all the days of your life

    What would you be doing in retirement?

    I am retiring from active service. I will remain forever a priest according to the order of Melchezedec. I will be a high priest according to the order of Melchezedec. I will be the Archbishop of Ibadan, not active. Until my death, forever, I will remain Archbishop of Ibadan. And so, I will perform the works of the Archbishop as the rules and regulations permit me.  This will be the last New Year day that I will be a metropolitan Archbishop. As from January 24, I will still be able to say mass, assist the Archbishop in any way he wants me to assist him, celebrate wedding ceremonies if I am invited. If he wants me to, I will still give all the sacraments that the bishop can give. But every day, I will have my assignment to offer the sacrifice of the mass for the living and the dead. And I will do the works that are available for me to do, particularly pastoral work.

     

  • ‘Aregbesola is an embodiment of good – governance’

    ‘Aregbesola is an embodiment of good – governance’

    Comrade Amitolu Shittu is the director general of DeRaufs, a group of volunteers promoting the ideals of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. He speaks on the governor and governance in Osun State, among other things. Assistant Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF met him in Osogbo

    Essentially, what is DeRaufs all out for?

    DeRaufs is a volunteer group formed by like minds who share the principles of the late Obafemi Awolowo. We are a people who have passion for the transformation of our education system, which has suffered from misrule in terms of neglect. We are a people who have also felt that Nigeria must change for better, that the abject poverty people are living in can be abolished. The formation of DeRaufs was also based on the principles of the late Gani Fawehinmi, Nelson Mandela, and Wole Soyinka. It is a movement that believes in egalitarianism, a society nurtured in the principle of equity and justice. We are a group that believes that Nigerians should not continue to suffer in the midst of plenty. As a nation, many Nigerians have died on account of bad roads; our hospitals serve as death centers, while the education system has been bastardised. It is only during the pre-independence government of the defunct Western region that we had good and qualitative education introduced by the late Obafemi Awolowo. After the demise of Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, and Zik of Africa, we have lost a lot of things.

    As a movement, DeRaufs believes that before we can revive or rebrand Nigeria, we must tackle the problem of poverty of mind. And the rebranding we want cannot take place until we reintroduce the system that we have known with this great nation, which is the system of changing the misfortune of Nigeria to fortune. What we mean is that the system of Omoluabi concept that is now being offered us by this great Nigerian, Governor Rauf Aregbesola. He has reduced the attractive paraphernalia of the office of governor. The belief of the people is that when you are in governance, you have to detach yourself from people, be a tin god, and become inaccessible before the people can have respect for that office; that being a governor, you can create an empire and a community for yourself where you can attend to only the people that are well-to-do, while you are less concerned about the generality of the poor. But Aregbesola came; we have studied him for a number of years, and we thought if he is given the opportunity to rule this state, how will he carry out his daily activities? We have seen it from a long distance that he wants to rule with the fear of God, that he is somebody who does not believe in vengeance, that he is somebody who believes in justice and who wants to rule the state with passion, fear of the people and fear of God, that wants to rule with respect, believing that power belongs to God. But he also believes that God puts power in the hands of people so therefore those that God has given this opportunity are just caretakers, because without people there cannot be government.

    Aregbesola has made us to understand politics and how we can use it to fix things in Nigeria. He understands that unemployment in Nigeria is rampant, and when you talk about development, there is no way you can develop a community without developing the people. Because education is one of the best tools you can use to transform your community, he has started with education by changing its face; the classes that were built in the 50s were demolished and replaced. Now, Aregbesola is reviving our ailing agricultural sector. He now felt that there is no way you can provide good qualitative education, build schools, good roads, rehabilitate the hospitals, put drugs there and expect any meaningful result without having a convincing security system. It is only when you have a good security system that you can think of any other thing. To overhaul security and combat crime effectively, he bought 10 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and stationed them in all our strategic roads. By giving workable and sophisticated materials to security agents to work with, it has reduced the crime rate in Osun. If other states also show courage and leadership by pumping money into security, there is no way crime will not be combated or reduced.

    So in a way, your group is working to ensure re-election of Governor Aregbesola?

    It is not just about Aregbesola’s re-election. People don’t know about the potentiality in this great man called Aregbesola. He is a revolutionary, a phenomenon, a re-incarnation of Awolowo and Gandhi. Apart from being a Muslim, he believes in the way Prophet Mohammed (SAW), ran his government and he also believes that the best you can give to people is when you have the opportunity to treat the people very well. And today Aregbesola has shown us that the best you can do in life is not to struggle to make money or build house in London or Abuja; all you need to do is to plant yourself in the heart of the people, when people now believe in you, you have had everything. And that is why there is no place in Yoruba land that Awolowo’s name will not be mentioned today. In Nigeria, we don’t think about anything except what we will eat. Now in Osun, people think about God and about Aregbesola, and that is the basis because he has the fear of God. And there is no way you will have the fear of God and God will not support you.

    As I said earlier, he made that office less attractive. He condemned the use of siren, and he obeys the traffic light. Before, most of our leaders, even the councilors, were blaring siren in Osun. It has become a way of life in Osun that when people hear the siren, they complain and try to stop the noise. Siren has become an embarrassment to the people of Osun as against other states where siren commands respect. When people hear the siren in Osun, most of them believe it is the ambulance. For instance, an accident happened along Jaiyesimi in Osogbo and I told the person that was close by to check the time and call the ambulance and see what happens in five minutes. He called, and in about four minutes, the ambulance had arrived. He asked me how we managed to do it and I said kudos to Aregbesola. If any accident should happen along the boundaries of Osun, I can assure that within few minutes, four or five ambulances will meet at that scene. When I saw that initiative in other countries, I believed it is not possible in Nigeria. But Aregbesola has brought it to reality in Osun. In all the schools that Aregbesola is building, there is no school that has less than 4,000 students’ capacity. We need to celebrate what is good. All over Africa, Awolowo brought television. Aregbesola has brought Opon-imo (tablet of knowledge) to Africa. So we need to celebrate this. God is just using Aregbesola as an experiment in Osun because this man knows how we can run a better system.

    In 2014, we all believe that Aregbesola will win the election because it has been signed by God and the people of Osun. So, instead of wasting our energy on other things, we want to focus on how we can rescue Nigeria from total collapse because Nigeria is heading towards a collapse and the best mechanism we can use is to use Aregbesola after 2018. May God spare our life, the wonders that this man will perform between the next 3-4 years will be difficult for anybody who has been away from Osun to believe that it is the same Osun he left 4 years ago because the transformation agenda of Aregbesola is unequalled in the areas of health and fixing the roads. Aregbesola has constructed roads in all our local government areas, over 610km in all. Where in Nigeria has such a thing ever happened? At the same time, there is also free train service made available of which many of youths and children have never seen train before. He introduced free train so that the children of the poor can also go on excursion. That is the way to build a nation. I think Aregbesola is a phenomenon that believes in the egalitarian society, and we think the best thing we can give to this man is not to wait till he dies, but to continue to celebrate him and let our heroes feel important that people are celebrating them. This man has the principle of God flowing in his veins; if he has an appointment with you for 10a.m, by that time he is there already. When you do good to him, he is always desperate to pay back. But the irony is that when you do bad to him, he also compensates you with good.

    I have never seen a human being like him before. What I learnt from Gani Fawehinmi is that Aregbesola’s principle is different. Gani asked me long ago that this man that has been serving as an engine for Tinubu in Lagos State, where is he from? And I said he is from Osun State, and he said if he wants to contest for any elective office in the future, support him. I went to him (Gani) and I said this man is ready to contest in Osun, and he asked me to support him because he will deliver. Apart from Femi Aborishade, myself and Gani’s wives and children, I don’t know any other person that was closer to Chief Gani Fawehinmi.

    Aregbesola does not discuss any other thing apart from the progress and welfare of people, how to develop people, how to use what we have to get what we want, how we can better the lives of people, how we can renovate our dilapidated schools and we can change people’s misfortune to fortune without depending on the Federal Government. The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that has long been a deathtrap is a federal road until when Aregbesola asked the federal to leave the road because many of his people have lost their lives on that road because of the neglect. Aregbesola has embarked on construction of more than seven federal roads: Gbongan to Akoda, Oshogbo to Offa, Osogbo to Ogbomosho, Kelegbe to Iragbiji- Obokun, Ibokun to Osogbo, Ilesa-Osogbo. All these are federal roads but the federal government is not doing anything about it. If you enter Osun from Oyo, by the time you get to the bend and the bridge from Oyo to Osun, you will receive a very decent and warm breeze to welcome you to the soil of Omoluabi.

    It is only Aregbesola that is giving the widows allowance of N10, 000 on a monthly basis, which is not happening in any other state. Even the students in Osun have access to good meal; they eat meat fish, chicken and egg every week and all these things are produced in Osun through ORIP – all these were created by Aregbesola. What is the allocation of Osun from Federal Government? If Osun can encourage qualitative education with good classrooms and also employ qualified teachers, we think it is a commendable effort. When we view all these achievements, because more are still coming, we feel they are celebratable.

    But people have always known you to be an activist and critic of past governments in the state. Don’t you think people can misinterpret your mission, saying you have probably changed camp by praising Aregbesola?

    I am not praising Aregbesola; I am only celebrating him. And I am only trying to be realistic that it is not until you criticise or say a government should be hacked down that you can be popular. That it is not until you create artificial crisis that you can be popular. Awolowo never practiced that all his life. So, when you look at the life of great men all over the world, there is no one that preached violence. So we are not celebrating mediocrities, we are celebrating people who understand God.  You may be a pastor or imam and not understand God very well. You may be a politician and not understand politics, but interpretation of governance is interwoven and broad. When you see someone that can interpret it, Aregbesola is one of them, and part of it is that he uses people’s mentality to change his environment. He works like a clock, he does not sleep. When other politicians are busy planning how to hack down their opponents, Awolowo will be busy thinking of how to change the misfortune of the people to fortune, how to change their mentality, how he can use the education tools to change our system for better and it is the same system that Aregbesola has adopted. Apart from all the aforementioned achievements of Aregbesola, he deserves commendation because he is an embodiment of transformation and good governance; he is also a good example to other politicians. Aregbesola is not like conventional politicians. What brought us together is that we belong to the same community. He is a pro-democracy activist. One thing about Aregbesola is that his name encompasses a lot of things. So, if Aregbesola is given the opportunity to rule Nigeria, he will completely change everything and Nigeria will be well respected all over the world. Why will I be praising him? I am not contesting for any political office and I am not seeking any appointment. So, I am not looking for favour from anybody, I have never gone to him for money; I only go to him for ideas. If he knows you have a good idea, he allows you. He is not someone that kills initiative.

    How does the group generate its fund?

    As an emancipation movement, DeRaufs is a volunteer group that does not rely on anybody for its funding and running. That is the truth. Some frivolous politicians can never like that because we don’t go to them. We don’t go to politicians; we don’t even know many commissioners. Out of the 30 local government chairmen, I know only seven. I don’t have any dealings with them. We are content with the little things God has given us. I also have my own farm and I earn good money from it, I thank God for that. That is why DeRaufs initiative now gives some politicians a lot of sleepless nights because politicians cannot organise a program without collecting money, but we organise programs that attract thousands of people without collecting money from politicians.

    So basically members contribute to it?

    Yes. In all our local government areas, our coordinators are very wonderful people; they don’t visit politicians. Any local government where we find them romancing the chairman, we sanction them. One thing about politicians is that if they give you N50, they will tell their followers that they have released N500,000 because politicians live all their lives in lies.

    In conclusion, what is the population strength of DeRaufs as at now?

    With the forms that have been returned, we have over 6,000 members in Osun State. In fact, the numbers have moved beyond 6,000 now in Osun. DeRaufs movement is over 10,000 in Lagos State, while we have over 2,000 members in Oyo State. We also have DeRaufs movement in 17 states in the United States of America. DeRaufs movement in Malaysia and Germany is doing well, while DeRaufs in the UK is fantastic. DeRaufs movement in London alone is about 700, including Britons. It is the same in Dublin, France, South Africa, and Ghana. The way DeRaufs is moving in Japan and China is highly encouraging. I have never seen a situation where the whites will support the black man’s cause. It is not only in Nigeria or Africa, we are thinking of leaders, teachers of men, teachers of ideas, teachers of development and that is what DeRaufs is trying to project. We have heard of the Zik of Africa, The Awo, Mandela, Wilson Churchill, Abraham Lincoln; we have heard about Gandhi, Mao and several great men all over the world, even Fidel Castro of Cuba. We have also had many Nigerians who have done wonders but in the world today, Aregbesola’s name is coming out and dominating African politics because Aregbesola is a household name in Ghana, Zambia, and Brazil. In some of the regions in Brazil, especially Rio, we have a lot of Nigerians that celebrate Aregbesola and they are mobilising for this movement. Our target is that, in the next four years, we will be going to the aforementioned countries to organise their convention. By April next year, we will be having DeRaufs convention in Canada. In May 2014, we will also have the American convention. From one country to another, it is a wind that will blow out those in the politics of killings, corruption, looting, and prostitution.

  • When women groups endorsed Aregbesola for second term

    When women groups endorsed Aregbesola for second term

    No fewer than 100 women groups in Osun State have endorsed the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for second term in office, saying he remained the best governor in the history of the state.

    The women groups, including the market women association, artisans, women professional bodies, the 31 local governments and 332 wards women leaders of All Progressive Congress (APC) among others endorsed the governor at a public lecture and sensitisation rally on Women Participation in Politics held at the Freedom Park now named after late former South African President, Nelson Mandela in Osogbo.

    The APC women leaders assured the governor of the continuous support of the women groups before and after the 2014 governorship election. They said the Aregbesola administration had brought women to prominence in political participation.

    On behalf of the women groups, the APC state interim women leader, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, said the women across the state gathered to throw their weight behind the second term ambition of the governor in recognition of his brilliant performance.

    She noted that women have benefited immensely on many platforms from the Aregbesola administration, including the Osun School Feeding and Health Programme, O Meals, OYES and welfare package for the elderly in the state tagged “Agba Osun” which she noted was unprecedented.

    According to her, the women through a qualitative health programme can now successfully give birth, noting that Osun State has the lowest maternal death rate in Nigeria.

    The first lady, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola expressed gratitude to women for throwing their weight behind the second term bid of her husband, saying their prayers have been very helpful. She also thanked God for allowing the governor to carry out various life touching programmes.

    Mrs. Aregbesola advised women to take the issue of cleanliness of their body and environment seriously so as stay healthy and be free from diseases. She also appealed to women to always create time to go for medical checkup for them to be able detect and guide against ailments, especially breast cancer that may not be noticed on time.

    Also, at the programme which drew a large crowd of APC supporters, the deputy governor, Otunba Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, said Ogbeni Aregbesola was the best governor, whom she said had taken the political rights and privileges of women seriously.

    According to her, Aregbesola is the only governor in the history of the state that has appointed the largest number of women into the state Executive Council and other parastatals and agencies. A member of the House of Representatives, representing Irewole/Ayedaade/Isokan Federal Constituency, Hon. (Mrs.) Ayo Omidiran, said the women decided to endorse the governor for a second term because of his performance, especially his administration’s programmes on women and children.

    Responding, an elated Governor Aregbesola, expressed appreciation for the recognition, assuring them of his commitment to issues of women and children. He said women play very critical roles in the society, particularly their role in the socialisation of the children and sustainability of the family. He said: ”In politics two categories of people are very important, women and young children, if they are with you, you can continue and if they are not with you, it is better to reconsider your position. Women’s support for us during and after electioneering process was responsible for our victory.”

    Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Mofolake Adetoun Adegboyega, who was the coordinator of the event, explained that the programme was to sensitise the women on the need to participate actively in politics. She said most programmes of the administration have touched the lives of women and children.

    Apart from local drummers and praise singers, Shola Allyson of Eji Owuro’s fame was on hand to render different inspirational and beautiful tunes about women’s virtues from her albums.

  • Ibadan-Abeokuta road: Highway or death trap?

    Ibadan-Abeokuta road: Highway or death trap?

    The Ibadan-Abeokuta highway remains one of the hot-spots on the list of the nation’s highways where scores of human lives were lost every year and these sad events have caught the attention of stakeholders, writes OSEHEYE OKWUOFU

    No fewer than 170 lives are lost to accidents every year on the ever busy Ibadan-Abeokuta highway, one of the oldest federal highways in the country.

    The list of the injured is also staggering with no fewer than 300 persons either with minor or serious injuries as a result of the carnage on the 78-kilometre road involving either vehicles or motorcycles.

    The latest of such accidents on this highway took place at Eleso area after Omi Adio on Saturday November 9, 2013, involving two commercial buses around 10.15pm.

    The residents of the area were drawn to the flames of fire that accompanied a head-on-collision of the two commercial buses at one of the many sharp bends on the highway.

    Despite the spirited effort to rescue the occupants of the ill-fated buses by good Samaritan, six of the passengers were roasted to death, while seven others sustained varying degrees of burns and injuries.

    In August 2013, 14 passengers were burnt beyond recognition on the same road at Aba Oke junction, while several others were severely injured.

    It was a ghastly motor accident involving a fully load commercial bus and a Toyota saloon car, at yet another sharp bend, a feature that characterised the single lane highway.

    The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Apata Unit, Mr G. Matthew said it was a fact not to be ignored that the road has witnessed unprecedented number of mishaps due to a number of factors. Among the factors listed were recklessness on the part of drivers, overloading, excessive speeding and faulty engineering design of the highway. The FRSC Commander blamed sharp bends for the incessant carnage on the road.

    Apart from the identified structural problem in the design of the road, the FRSC boss said drivers should be held responsible for over 80 percent of the accidents because of their failure to heed safe driving regulations.

    To check the problem of accidents on the highway, Mathew recalled that the Corps embarked on road safety sensitisation campaign with a view to reducing the number of accident on the road last December ahead of the festive season.

    Recently, the federal government awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of the highway to alleviate the suffering of road users owing to the deplorable condition of the road.

    A top official of the construction company handling the rehabilitation, Mr F. Issam who is the General Manager of Kopek Construction Company however sees the structural design of the road in a different light.  To Mr. Issam, the engineering design and components of the highway have nothing to do with the occurrence of accidents.

    In his opinion, the only panacea to the problem of accident on the road is to dualise it, adding that its narrowness, being a one-lane high way is one of the contributing factors to the many accidents being witnessed on the road.

    “There is nothing wrong with the Ibadan-Abeokuta Expressway. It is a quality road with the present rehabilitation work that was carried out by us. You can go there and you will see it by yourself. The thickness of asphalt laid is the best you can find anywhere you go, the drainages and other components are of high quality and people attested to this.

    “You will observe that it is one lane, and that is what causes many accidents there. The best thing is to dualise the road and important features of a standard highway could be included such as median, good drains, walk ways, and other components. If it can be expanded into four lanes, I can tell you that the number of accidents will be reduced drastically,” Mr Issam said.

    The federal government had on several occasions put the dualisation of the road in its budget but the project never got off to a start.

    It was gathered that the design for its dualisation was contracted on several occasions to engineering firms, by the federal government, but the political will to award and successfully complete the project is lacking.  On many occasions, buildings were marked to pave way for the dualisation which many believe, could stop loss of lives on this road, yet people continued to die on grander scale.

    Residents of Ibadan especially, Odo-Ona, Apata , Bembo, Owode, Omi-Adio, Eleso, and Bakatari have been experiencing hardship daily while plying the road due to its  narrow nature.

    Traffic gridlock on the highway is a common sight, as residents struggle in hold-up for several hours.

    They want the federal government to commence the process of dualising the road without delay to preserve lives of citizens and ease the problem of traffic on the road.

    The Baale of Eleso, in Ido Local Government of Oyo state, Chief Adeola Isiaka appealed to the federal government to fast-track the process of ensuring that fund is made available for the dualisation of the road. He explained that many road users have either been killed or maimed as a result of accident because the road is very narrow.

    “The road is archaic, out-dated and no longer useful in the 21st century Nigeria. At the time it was designed and constructed, the population was not as many as it is today. Remember that the Ibadan-Abeokuta highway came far before the present Ibadan-Lagos Expressway, it is one of the oldest in the South west zone. So, I think it was high time the federal government expanded the road to four lanes if really the government values the lives of its citizens,” Chief Dele Adeoye, one of the residents of Apata, Ibadan said.

     

  • Asiwaju group takes off in Ondo

    As the All Progressives Congress (APC) begins its mobilisation across the country ahead of 2015 general elections, a member of the Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Busayo Adebayo has launched a pressure group in Ondo State, christened Asiwaju Resources Movement (ARM).

    The group was to mobilise and enlighten the people of the state on the struggle of APC to end the 16 years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule in the country.

    Already, ARM has been launched in Lagos State and this group is also expected to spring up in other states very soon.

    Speaking at the launch of the group in Akure, the state capital, Adebayo, who was represented Engr. Yemi Ogunsakin described the ARM as a pressure group under the platform of the APC.

    Adebayo said the group duty was to mobilise, tell the people what will be their benefits if they support APC during the 2015 general elections.

    He noted that it is necessary to rescue the nation from the iron hand of oligarchy, stressing that all stakeholders must team up to challenge corruption, lack of infrastructure and others problems inhibiting national growth and development.

    His words: “Nigerians must begin to see the wonders being performed by all governors who are members of APC in their various states. For this reason, it is enough for all Nigerians to support the APC so that things will change for the better.

    “That nothing has improved over the years shows the non-performance of the ruling PDP. The PDP government has institutionalised corruption in Nigeria. There is no way Nigeria, with its vast population and land can continue to entertain an army of unemployed youth without the resultant effect of kidnapping and insurgency by Boko Haram”.

    The state Coordinator of ARM, Hon Jimmy Lumowo, assured that APC will win in the state in the 2015 general elections.

  • Why Ilase-Ijesa had sober Christmas, New Year

    Why Ilase-Ijesa had sober Christmas, New Year

    The indigenes of Ilase-Ijesa in Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State are yet to get over the shock of the tragic death of their monarch, Oba Adesina Alobijuwon.

    The 80-year-old monarch was on November 20, 2013, strangled to death and his palace set ablaze by unknown men after reportedly visiting him around 7.30 pm on the fateful day.

    The community residents wore sober mood last Christmas and New Year as their neighbours were indulged in festivities.

    When The Nation visited the community during the Christmas season the residents were still mourning as there was nothing to reflect the joyous and festive celebration of the season.

    Apart from the tragic manner of the monarch’s death, the people are not happy that the killers of Oba Alobijuwon, who lost his sight twelve years after he came on throne in 1992, are yet to be apprehended. A prominent indigene of the town, Chief Jumoke Ogunkeyede aka JMK, who is a Director, the Odu’a Group, said the present time calls for sober reflection. His statement truly reflects the mood of an average resident of the rustic and agrarian but peaceful community following the tragedy.

    The people see what happened as an abomination and that which had never happened in the long history of the town. They are still wondering what could have informed the killing of the aged blind monarch, who was already bereaved for losing his wife and three sons at intervals some years back. At the time he was killed, the monarch was living in the palace with a maid and her two children.

    During the preliminary police investigation, the maid, whom the killers met in the palace before committing the dastardly act and about eight traditional chiefs, including some kingmakers were summoned by the Criminal Investigation Department of the state Police Command for clues into the incident.

    In the wake of the incident, the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Dorothy Gimba, had visited the bereaved community to commiserate with them with an assurance that the culprits would be brought to book.

    A traditional chief of the town, Oluwagbemiga Oke, explained how the five guests came in a pink Mazda 232 car before the incident happened, adding that “from what we were told, the house got burnt shortly after the people had left.” He also explained that the killers came back to set ablaze the car they brought and removed its registration number plate after it had broken down in order not to leave any trace linking them to the incident.

    An officer of the State Fire Service, Mr. Michael Ogundipe, however, ruled out the possibility of power surge, saying that findings by his men have revealed that the case was arson.

    Also, two traditional rulers in the state, the Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olawale, and Aragbiji of Iragbiji, have condemned the tragic murder of the Onilase of Ilase-Ijesha, saying it was a signal of grave danger and insecurity in the country.

    The two first class monarchs called on the government to beef up security around the traditional rulers and their palaces. They insisted that thorough investigations must be conducted on the matter and the culprits fished out and punished to deter future occurrence.

    “To curtail spread of violence to other palaces, those behind this gruesome murder of the monarch must be brought to book. If they are allowed to go scot free it may encourage others like them to do worse than they had done in Ilase-Ijesa,” the Aragbiji said.

    Meanwhile, preparations have commenced for the burial of the monarch, According Chief Ogunkeyede and the Omu-Owode Ijesha, High Chief Adejumo Operinde, there had been series of meetings from ward to ward and among traditional chiefs on how to give the late monarch a befitting burial. He disclosed that necessary rituals would need to be done, however, to return peace to the community and to forestall untoward consequences of the tragedy.

    Ogunkeyede said in spite of the incident, the indigenes are still proud of their town. “We are still waiting for the autopsy report before going into full final burial rite,” JMK said.

     

  • The booming business of Tokunbo clothes

    The booming business of Tokunbo clothes

    Second hand dresses, otherwise known as Tokunbo, have remained popular among the populace, despite official opposition to its importation. Sulaiman Salawudeen examines factors behind the trend

    FOR Sandra Adetiloye, a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, the lure of second-hand clothing otherwise known as Tokunbo (Yoruba for ‘Comer from across the seas’) or BK (Bosi koro, another Yoruba meaning ‘enter corner’) is irresistible.

    Sandra, who disclosed that she ‘loves’ Tokunbo’ clothes, had gone to the popular second-hand clothing market at Oja Bisi in Ado-Ekiti, capital of the state for some tops (blouses) to go with the skirts which she said she had earlier secured from the same market.

    An apparently vocal and unassuming student of Business Administration of the polytechnic, Sandra confessed she did not have alternatives for her BK stuffs: “I have needed some tops for quite a while”, she confessed, adding “This holiday is an opportunity for me to spend some time around the market to be able to make nice choices”.

    Alaba Jacob, a male salon owner in the capital, was in the market to buy some trousers. “Today being Saturday, I will be busy in my shop. Customers will soon start coming. That’s why I decided to come this early to have time to get nice ones”.

    The market itself bubbled this day as ever. Scores of buyers and sellers, males, females, young and not so young intermingled, exchanged banters and haggled ceaselessly. No one can guess if any particular clothing item is missing out here. You can see the wares either hanged or on mobile wooden carts. There were the males’ stuff; trousers, short knickers, singlets, ties, orthodox long and short-sleeved shirts, even T-shirts, various sizes and shapes of socks, whether worn on legs or hands, and so on. There are those selling shoes, slippers and sandals. While the females’ have most of the ones for the males, they also have the usual females only ones, including pants, braziers and other varieties of underwear.

    The traders themselves who are mostly Ibos are not hidden. They announce their products in attractive Yoruba catch phrases: “Opo ju owo e,” meaning ‘it is worth more than its price”; “Olowo o r’ako se,” meaning ‘the wealthy has lost chance to pride”; and a host other ones.

    As this one shouts at this end, the other holds up the stuff at another, while the buyers tugged and pushed one another for advantage. The first to notice a good and special one would do anything to buy, believing there may be no other one like it.

    One of the sellers who identified himself simply as Alhaji clarified that there is no item of clothing the second hand of which could not be found in the market.

    According to him, any clothing item including wears, window blinds, beddings male and females wears generally are available at rates comparatively attractive.

    Regarding how they source the good, Alhaji said some of the sellers go to the border towns including Seme in the Republic of Benin, Saki in Oyo State and even Lagos while some stay at home to buy from those who went to such places.

    Said he: “It depends on how much we have when in need of more stock. While some of us go to Saki, a few go to Seme, even Cotonou. Some of our people however stop in Lagos.

    Attractions of the business for dealers

    Alhaji further disclosed that there were always enough returns on purchases to attract those who do the business, noting however that, like any other business, there are problems in the trade.

    He said: “I can say the business is good for those who persist and are patient. Some of these sellers you are seeing have two, three children in various institutions and they are sponsoring them.

    “There is a widow who took over the business from her husband and now, she has bought a vehicle and has even completed their house. It is good business which has saved many people from lack.

    “See that lady there she is a part-time student in one of the institutions. I cannot remember which of the institutions now. Very brilliant as you see her but she does not have anyone to sponsor her education. She joined this trade two years ago and has been coping”, he said.

    Alhaji explained further that the market has, as well, been a silent protector of many categories of workers, including teachers, doctors, nurses, bankers, and civil servants who, according to him, they service “behind the scenes”.

    Said he: “I have a fairly long list of people mostly women who are in various offices, including banks and other establishments who prefer our products. They don’t come to the market. We already have their numbers and each time there are new arrivals, we call them and they come.

    “Even those who are not faring well also depend on us. Christmas is now around and I know the number of women who have approached and appealed to me to support them by selecting, especially good ones among the stuff for their children.

    ”One of my customers, Mama Rachael, has a tradition of giving me money in bits when a festival is approaching. We will be calculating and adding them until it reaches certain amount. I will then select good dresses for her children. I have never disappointed her”, Alhaji said.

    Attractions for buyers

    Just as the dealers consider the trade as profitable, the patrons equally admit that second-hand clothes are the best anyone can wear. Their reasons range from durability to affordability and uniqueness of the material.

    Sandra spoke: “It is not just that the clothes are cheap, they are also durable. It is not the kind of dress you will wash two times and it will lose colour finally. The stuffs are equally unique. No lady likes to see the dress she is wearing on another person. I hate wearing any dress and seeing any other person wearing the same thing. It makes you feel defeated. No one likes to be copied so easily.

    “Second-hand clothes rarely come in double you see only one of any unique type. If you buy and wear such, people admire you and no one is likely to look like you.

    “But, some of this new ready-made wears are neither durable nor unique. You can spend a fortune buying them but they soon lose colour and texture. Their buyers always have three things to lose: they are ever costly, never durable and never unique. You too can try it, buy any new dress and go out. You will see at least two or three people wearing the same dress and attending the same function with you.

    “The reason is the ones in the stores are mass produced and they could be procured by anyone. Let me not deceive you, I am a lady and the worst is going out with a dress and seeing another person appearing in a replica of your dress.

    “Let me tell you another secret, many of the known centres where they claim to sell new ready-made dresses are patrons of this same second-hand clothing market because the dresses are in grades, they just select the best grades, dry clean them and put them up for sale. Many people are being deceived.

    Hurdles in the trade

    Dealers in second-hand clothes face challenges relating to restrictions on importation. Chidi, another seller in the market, disclosed that the problem of transporting the consignment from the borders to their markets is a major challenge which most sellers, including himself have been experiencing each time they went across the borders.

    He explained that while some dealers stop in Lagos, some go as far as Cotonou, Seme and Saki which make them susceptible to exploitation of the Customs and Immigration officials.

    He said: “Immigration and Customs officials are making life difficult for us. You must not make a mistake of spending all your money on purchases whenever you go for them because you must settle wherever you meet them.

    “Once they stop you and found that you are carrying the second-hand clothing, they bring up all manner of excuses to delay you. You are the one to understand the language and bring something out. And we are not talking of one place or two or three. If you travel with as much as N200,000, you will ‘settle’ with nothing less than N70,000. Unfortunately, we cannot always increase the cost of the items for the people as they might find it difficult buying.

    “At times, when I return from the market and I imagine what I went through, I wonder if small people like us have any meaning at all. What is our crime that we cannot buy and sell again?

    “Government says they are protecting the economy by discouraging the importation and sale of second-hand stuffs like cars, freezers, clothes and others. But is it their economy (of the exporting country) they are referring to our own economy which does not have anything good to offer us.

    “I appeal to the Federal Government to look into the situation for us. Let them make second-hand clothes a legitimate business so that Customs will not stop us again. This second-hand trade is the only means by which we live, feed and sponsor our children’s education.”

    Possible dangers in wearing second-hand clothes

    Speaking with The Nation, Dr. Oloje Oluyemi, a Family Medicine specialist at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, clarified that there are no apparent medical problems traceable to or arising from using second-hand clothing materials.

    Oloje explained that, given the scale and popularity of use of the clothes among the populace, there would have been reported cases of many skin problems which are the only ones likely from wearing the dresses, noting “as far as I am aware, there is no such development here in the hospital or anywhere I know of.”

    He, however, urged the people to wash and sterilise the stuff before they put them on, saying “this is of course a matter of general hygiene. If one buys a second hand dress or used clothe, one should know it should be washed and taken care of well before wearing it.”

    Said he: “Although, I am aware that once a woman contracted a disease on her breast by wearing a second-hand brazier which she bought, she said it started by itching her before the thing developed into a big ailment. But before and after such incident, I have not come in contact with anyone whose ailment could be traced to the use of second-hand clothes. I have someone very close to me who deals in the stuff and whose children do wear them. It is of course a multimillion naira business which is sustaining many families. It could not have survived this long if any disease has been traced to it. But people should always follow the rules of hygiene whenever they buy them”.

  • Mimiko disburses N75m to communities for self-help projects

    The Ondo State government has disbursed N75million to 21 communities across the state to embark on community self-help projects.

    Over 600 community projects were executed in 300 communities during the first term of the present administration.

    Governor Olusegun Mimiko, while distributing the cheque to representatives of the communities in Akure, the state capital reiterated his administration’s determination to uplift the standard of living of the people in rural communities by providing basic infrastructure that will add values to their lives.

    He noted that Community Change Champions (CCC) have been trained to oversee proper usage of the facilities.

    The governor promised that government would continue to assist willing communities to execute projects that are people-oriented. Such projects, he said would help to reduce rural-urban migration and boost the economy of the communities.

    Mimiko, however, urged the traditional rulers to support government in its bid to transform the socio-economic landscape of the state.

    Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Community Development and Cooperative Services, Clement Faboyede enumerated the projects so far executed to include basic health centers, town halls, classroom blocks, skill acquisition centers and cottage industries among others.

    He thanked the governor for prompt release of funds to the ministry to execute people-oriented projects across the state.

     

  • Fall in road accidents in Ekiti

    From Ekiti State SULAIMAN SALAWUDEEN writes that despite the revelries, accounts of drivers and officials of Federal Roads Safety Corps reveal a fall in road accidents during the Yuletide

    Findings across motor parks among drivers and other road users have revealed that there was a drastic reduction in motor accidents during the celebrations of Christmas and New Year.

    A driver who identified himself as Kola Alawode, who plies the inter-state Ado-Akure route said he did not experience any hiccup on the road and that he did not hear of any accident throughout the period.

    Said he:”I don’t know why it was so but there were no accidents throughout the Christmas period. No one told me of any as well.

    Another driver who shuttles between Ado Ekiti in Ekiti State and Lagos State admitted the reduction and traced it to the personal efforts of the drivers.

    “I sensed there was a reduction in road accidents this year but I think it is just because people have learned their lesson. Perhaps they now know that you are a good driver only if you leave your house in the morning and return in the evening”, he said.

    Even, residents admitted the general safety on the roads. Mr. Lawan, a banker in the capital city noted that passengers themselves have a part to play and had played it well.

    He explained that people no longer leave the drivers to do the job of driving alone. “Passengers now drive with the drivers. If he overtakes at bends they know and shout. Any dangerous attitude on the driver’s part is immediately condemned”, he said.

    However, the State Sector Commander, Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), Ekiti State, Engr. Ringdom Kumven, while admitting the reduction, traced it to the efforts of the Corps.

    According to him, the reduction was experienced not only in the state but generally across the country, which he said was a consequence of general campaigns by the Corps across motor parks and equally on the electronic media.

    Said he: “Generally there was a reduction this year compared to last year because the Commission was able to mount what it tagged “Zero tolerance for accidents” which took the form of campaigns both on radio and Television and across the motor parks.”

    He spoke further: “The campaign I am talking about involved the deployment of all FRSC operatives and patrol vehicles on the highways to cover the major routes and corridors.

    “This resulted in the decongestion of traffic gridlocks along major corridors and the dangerous attitudes of motorists were well monitored and checked as well.

    “Aside the operations, there was robust public enlightenment at garages and on the radio and TV through which we warned against familiar reckless attitudes of drivers during the so-called ember months.

    Kumven clarified further that the “reduction was actual and not theoretical”, noting that “in the month of October last year there were only four road crashes as against nine in October 2012; while in last November, there were seven compared with 17 in 2012. He also added that there were only five road crashes in December last year, compared with twenty five in December 2012.”

     

  • Road accidents drop in Ogun

    Road accidents drop in Ogun

    The situation in Ogun State was not too different. Even though there were cases of road accidents, ERNEST NWOKOLO reports that the FRSC did a good job in bringing down the number of such accidents

    Quite a good number of people entertain one form of fear or the other while travelling on Nigerian roads, particularly in the month of December. They dread the frequent cases of accidents on major and minor roads across the states of the federation, the attendant deaths and injuries.

    Their worry, sometimes irrational, may not be unrelated to the deplorable state of the roads, poor vehicle maintenance or recklessness of some motorists and other road users.

    Often, many believe there are malevolent hands or blood sucking demons lurking by the roadside and waiting to instigate road traffic crashes for purpose of collecting victims’ blood for drinking.

    In Ogun state, last December 23,  three persons were killed and 18 others, including seven children, critically injured in an accident that occurred at Obada- Oko stretch of the Lagos – Abeokuta expressway, Abeokuta following burst of tyre. The accident which happened Monday night involved a Toyota Hiace passenger bus marked LAGOS FKJ 07 AS.

    It was learnt that the occupants of the grey coloured Toyota bus were members of the Celestial Church who were going for their annual prayer congress at Celestial town of Imeko in Imeko/Afon local government area of the state.

    The Itori Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Fatai Bakare, who confirmed the accident, said 21 persons comprising of four males, 10 females and seven children were on board as at the time the crash occurred.

    It was learnt that the driver was on high speed when the tyre of the vehicle burst, he lost control of the wheel and the vehicle somersaulted, resulting in the death of three of the occupants.

    This and some other road traffic crashes occurred in various locations in Ogun State during the month of December, 2013.

    The Nation gathered from unofficial sources that over a dozen of persons were killed in the month of December in an equally over 25 cases of traffic accidents said to have occurred in the state.

    Although, the State Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Adegoke Adetunji, did not give data but he said the Command was able to reduce road accidents and the attendant challenges last month because of the road safety measure put in place and implemented during that period.

    According to Adetunji, the state witnessed less traffic accidents in the month of December, 2013 compared to that of the previous years.

    He explained that part of the measures deployed to check traffic accidents during the period was the use of mobile courts in various unit Commands of the Corps within the state to try offenders who engaged in conducts that could have led to carnage on the roads.

    In Sagamu for example, 32 offenders were arraigned before a mobile court there for various offences ranging from failure to use seatbelt to using phone while driving.

    While five of the offenders were discharged, acquitted and cautioned 27 others were penalised.

    Adetunji said: “From December 13, 2013 to last day of December, we carried out operation zero tolerance to road crashes. We embarked on motorised patrol operation, we extended our patrol period from 6am to 8pm in the evening. We also put on standby, as usual, what we called rescue team.

    “While those on patrol go to bed, we also have the standby patrol team who were  always ready to move in at anytime for any emergency call.

    We did Mobile Court enforcement in our commands in Ogun State where many offenders were penalised while some were discharged.

    “We also embarked on aggressive public enlightenment. We went to churches, mosques, garages not only to the drivers but also to the passengers, to let them know that they should not leave their safety in the hands of drivers alone because for any vehicle, you have one driver to about 14 passengers, one family to about 14 families if any driver is misbehaving on the road, they should diplomatically caution him but if you try to caution him aggressively, it could lead to another thing.

    “We also carried out pre – trip inspection, we go to garages and check all the loaded vehicles before proceeding for the planned journey. How good are those vehicles, and you could see some of the vehicles, their tyres are bad some have mechanical deficiencies and we called the parks managers and let them know that such vehicles were  not fit to embark on the journey.

    “We advised and insisted that the vehicle be changed for the passengers and they did oblige us because a vehicle that is in improper shape is crash – prone.  We did ‘beyond the road’ exercise where we go to garages along with our medical personnel to check the drivers and to know their blood pressure (BP) status and sugar level.

    “Most of them do not go for medical checkup and you would be surprised that most of them had high BPs. If you are hypertensive and drive, anything can happen. Any slight shock, the effect would tell on you as a high BP person.

    “Our medics checked them and referred them to the appropriate hospital to get medications, those that have high sugar level in their blood were also referred to the appropriate place. All these were done to ensure that the health of the drivers is in good shape.

    “As we advise them to manage their health well, we also advise that they take care of their vehicles. If you are tired, rest and if you are weak to embark upon a trip, let another person go. These were the things we put in place to reduce road traffic crashes in the state. And to some extent, we had crashless period in December during the yuletide.”